Full catalytic dehalogenation of brominated flame retardants

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are mixtures of chemicals that are added to a wide variety of products, including for industrial use, to make them less flammable. They are used commonly in plastics, textiles, and electrical/electronic equipment. In the European Union, the use of certain BFRs is banned or restricted; however, due to their persistence in the environment, there are still concerns about the risks these chemicals pose to public health. BFR-treated products, whether in use or waste, leach BFRs into the environment and contaminate the air, soil, and water. These contaminants may then enter the food chain where they mainly occur in food of animal origin, such as fish, meat, milk, and derived products. The project aims at converting these compounds into non-toxic compounds that can be used for industrial purposes. For this purpose, catalytic reactions will be used for the full debromination of brominated flame retardants. Catalytic reactions will take under mild conditions (e.g. 0.1 MPa H2, 80 °C), and also in a combination of hydrogenolysis of C-Br using H2 and carboxylation of C-Br using CO, using different catalysts, such as Pd supported with C, TiO2 or ZrO2, and other catalysts.