prof. dr. R. (Ronald) Hage
Research interests
The research of Prof Ronald Hage is focusing on developing new
iron and manganese oxidation and bleach catalysts that activate
hydrogen peroxide or dioxygen for selective oxidations. This work
includes studies on elucidations of mechanisms using various
spectroscopy and electrochemical methods, in collaboration with
Prof. Wesley Browne. Identification of intermediate active
species of the oxidation reactions helps us to understand better
the conditions of optimal use of the catalysts. These
investigations are related to the application testing at Catexel,
where similar catalysts are developed for use in industry. Using
hydrogen peroxide and a catalyst can lead to the replacement of
much more harmful oxidants.
A relatively new area is the activation of sodium chlorite to form
chlorine dioxide in situ using an iron catalyst which is studied
using UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy. Mechanistic studies are in
progress to understand which iron-oxo species is involved in these
reactions. Applications can be found in the areas of water
treatment/antimicrobial benefits.