Abstract
In the context of exponentially growing problems of pollution and waste, the design of ecofriendly processes for turning the current treatment of effluents into sustainable catalysts represents a great opportunity. Wastewater arising from pyrite quarrying is selected as a model example. The acidity of pyrite effluents leads to solubilization of useful cations: MnII and FeII/FeIII. Their chemical properties are an opportunity to promote innovative studies of oxidation in organic synthesis. The controlled addition of NaOH and a co-oxidant (H2O2) onto the effluents allows generation of new, oxidative catalysts. MP-AES analysis, XPS, XRPD, BET, TEM, HRTEM, and EDX studies were performed to characterize the new and efficient catalysts. Oxidation of alcohols into carbonyl compounds, oxidative cleavage of 1,2-diols, and epoxidation of alkenes are described.