Paco Laveille

Last Name

Laveille

First Name

Paco

ORCID

0000-0002-2687-0093

Organisational unit

02293 - Catalysis Hub / Catalysis Hub

Show all metadata

Search Results

Publications 1 - 10 of 22

Sustainable pilot-scale production of a Salicornia oil, its conversion to certified aviation fuel, and techno-economic analysis of the related biorefinery
Laveille, Paco; Uratani, Joao; Barron, Jose G.G.; et al. (2022)
Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining
The 2 ha pilot-plant Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), integrates aquaculture ponds, which produce fish and shrimp, with fields of Salicornia and mangrove used as a natural filter to clean the waste seawater from the ponds. The SEAS is a sustainable solution that addresses the food security issues of countries with large deserts or arid regions. At the same time, it produces economically viable fuels from biomass, using non-arable lands and non-drinkable water. After harvesting and pressing Salicornia seeds (2 t ha−1 year−1), a custom-made process serves to pre-treat the vegetable oil (0.7 t ha−1 year−1) containing 85 wt% C18 and 10 wt% C16 fatty acids as triglycerides. The first step of the UOP Ecofining® process produces an oil composed of linear C15-C18 alkanes. Analytical data suggest the oil feed converts at 60 wt% by hydrodeoxygenation and at 40 wt% through decarboxylation/decarbonylation. The subsequent hydrocracking/isomerization step provided 3.4 wt% C1–C4, 34.8 wt% green naphtha, 47.5 wt% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and 14.2 wt% green diesel. After distillation, the SAF has been certified following ASTM D7566 before being blended with conventional jet fuel and used successfully on a commercial passenger flight in January 2019. The techno-economic study shows that the biorefinery part is economically sustainable when reaching a production scale of 900bbd, required for a SEAS surface of 20 000 ha. At this scale, expected revenue and conversion costs per MT of feed are, respectively, $589 and $290. The resulting benefit, associated with a CAPEX of $115M, would lead to a payback time of 6.9 years.
Bridging Innovation and Efficiency: The Promises and Challenges of Self-Driving Labs as Sustainable Drivers for Chemistry
Formica, Florian A.; Wu, Edlyn; Brey, Lucien; et al. (2025)
Chimia
Self-driving laboratories (SDLs) are reshaping scientific discovery by combining robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and data science to automate the full Design-Make-Test-Analyze (DMTA) cycle. This review highlights how SDLs address the inefficiencies of traditional trial-and-error methods through intelligent, autonomous experimentation. We explore key advances in AI, automation, and data infrastructure, as well as the remaining technical challenges. Applications across organic synthesis, materials science, and biotechnology (e.g. such as catalytic reaction optimization, solid-state synthesis, and protein engineering) demonstrate their transformative potential. A recurring theme is the role of SDLs in promoting sustainability by miniaturizing reactions and maximizing sample efficiency through AI and machine learning. Finally, we discuss the requirements for broader adoption, including robust hardware, interoperable software, and high-quality datasets, positioning SDLs as essential tools for next-generation sustainable research.
EPR Studies of New Mesostructured Silica Synthesis and Hemoglobin Encapsulation
Sartori, Federica; Laveille, Paco; Galarneau, Anne; et al. (2008)
NATO science for peace and security series. Series C, Environmental security ~ Sol-Gel Methods for Materials Processing
Swiss CAT+, a Data-driven Infrastructure for Accelerated Catalysts Discovery and Optimization
Laveille, Paco; Miéville, Pascal; Chatterjee, Sourav; et al. (2023)
Chimia
The Catalysis Hub - Swiss CAT+, is a new infrastructure project funded by the ETH Domain, co -head-ed by EPFL and ETHZ. It offers the scientific community a unique integrated technology platform combining automated and high-throughput experimentation with advanced computational data analysis to accelerate the discoveries in the field of sustainable catalytic technologies. Divided into two hubs of expertise, homogeneous catalysis at EPFL and heterogeneous catalysis at ETHZ, the platform is open to academic and private research groups. Following a multi-year investment plan, both hubs have acquired and developed several high-end robotic platforms devoted to the synthesis, characterization, and testing of large numbers of molecular and solid cata-lysts. The hardware is associated with a fully digitalized experimental workflow and a specific data management strategy to support closed-loop experimentation and advanced computational data analysis.
Hemoglobin immobilized on mesoporous silica as effective material for the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollutants from water
Laveille, Paco; Falcimaigne, Aude; Chamouleau, Françoise; et al. (2010)
New Journal of Chemistry
Free hemoglobin (Hb) in water at pH 5 is able to oxidize 11 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (300 nM each) in the presence of H2O2 amounting to 75% PAH removal. PAH are carcinogenic, mutagenic and xenobiotic pollutants found in wastewaters of oil refineries. However Hb is pH sensitive and is effective only at pH 5. In order to use Hb for real wastewater treatment (6.5 < pH < 8.5), Hb was immobilized by simple adsorption in selected large pore mesoporous silicas at a loading of 300 mg Hb per g silica. The reaction of Hb with PAH is pseudo-catalytic because an excess of H2O2 ([H2O2]/[PAH] > 2500) and of Hb ([Hb]/[PAH] > 2) is necessary to reach an optimal PAH removal. The excess of Hb depends on the PAH physico-chemical characteristics. At pH = 7, the activity of free Hb decreased to 47% of PAH removal, whereas the Hb-immobilized silica allowed 82% of PAH removal. Immobilization of Hb in silicas leads to a protection of Hb towards pH, solvent, temperature and inactivation by H2O2. These results open the perspective for a new biotechnology process aimed at cleaning contaminated wastewaters by a reactive adsorption process followed by filtration.
Synergetic effects leading to coke-resistant NiCo bimetallic catalysts for dry reforming of methane
Li, Lidong; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Zhu, Haibo; et al. (2015)
ChemCatChem
A new dry reforming of methane catalyst comprised of NiCo bimetallic nanoparticles and a Mgx(Al)O support that exhibits high coke resistance and long-term on-stream stability is reported. The structural characterization by XRD, TEM, temperature-programmed reduction, and BET analysis demonstrates that the excellent performance of this catalyst is ascribed to the synergy of various parameters, including metal-nanoparticle size, metal–support interaction, catalyst structure, ensemble size, and alloy effects.
Maximizing utilization of reactivated and left-over catalysts in heavy gas oil hydrotreater: A case study of ADNOC Refining
Laveille, Paco; Chaudhry, Abdul-Hamid; Riva, Alessandro; et al. (2018)
Oil & Gas Science and Technology – Revue d’IFP Energies nouvelles
Recently, ADNOC Refining Research Center (ARRC) has studied the possibility to maximize the reutilization of left-overs and reactivated hydrodesulfurization catalysts for one of its hydrotreater producing Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) from Heavy Gas Oil (HGO). Based on the refinery inventory, several catalyst configurations composed of different amounts of reactivated and fresh CoMo catalyst, including a full reactivated configuration having a stacked CoMo/NiMo/CoMo combination (50/25/25), have been tested in a pilot-plant reactor under commercially-relevant conditions. Experimental results in terms of reactor bed temperature, H2 consumption, aromatics and diesel yields have been analyzed and compared to the current commercial hydrotreater load and catalyst supplier forecasts for the studied configurations. Results show excellent performances of reactivated catalysts and a strong effect of the NiMo layer in the case of the stacked configuration. In a pure CoMo configuration, up to 75% reactor volume of reactivated catalyst could be utilized without impacting the product quality and cycle length, compared to a full fresh CoMo catalyst load. The full reactivated stacked configuration performed even better than the full fresh CoMo catalyst, without impacting product quality and diesel yield. Potential effect of the reactivated catalysts on the reaction selectivity and the role of the NiMo layer in the stacked configuration are discussed. Pilot-plant experimental data were in strong accordance with catalyst supplier commercial forecasts, emphasizing the quality of the pilot-plant study. Implementation of one of the studied configuration by the refinery could lead to between 30% and 55% savings on the cost of catalyst for the next load.
Sn surface-enriched Pt-Sn bimetallic nanoparticles as a selective and stable catalyst for propane dehydrogenation
Zhu, Haibo; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Wang, Qingxiao; et al. (2014)
Journal of Catalysis
A new one pot, surfactant-free, synthetic route based on the surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) concept has been developed for the synthesis of Sn surface-enriched Pt–Sn nanoparticles. Bu3SnH selectively reacts with [Pt]–H formed in situ at the surface of Pt nanoparticles, Pt NPs, obtained by reduction of K2PtCl4 by LiB(C2H5)3H. Chemical analysis, 1H MAS and 13C CP/MAS solid-state NMR as well as two-dimensional double-quantum (DQ) and triple-quantum (TQ) experiments show that organo-tin moieties Sn(n-C4H9) are chemically linked to the surface of Pt NPs to produce, in fine, after removal of most of the n-butyl fragment, bimetallic Pt–Sn nanoparticles. The triple bondSn(n-CH2CH2CH2CH3) groups remaining at the surface are believed to stabilize the as-synthesized Pt–Sn NPs, enabling the bimetallic NPs to be well dispersed in THF. Additionally, the Pt–Sn nanoparticles can be supported on MgAl2O4 during the synthesis of the nanoparticles. Some of the Pt–Sn/MgAl2O4 catalyst thus prepared exhibits high activity in PROX of CO and an extremely high selectivity and stability in propane dehydrogenation to propylene. The enhanced activity in propane dehydrogenation is associated with the high concentration of inactive Sn at the surface of Pt nanoparticles which “isolates” the active Pt atoms. This conclusion is confirmed by XRD, NMR, TEM, and XPS analysis.
Durable PROX catalyst based on gold nanoparticles and hydrophobic silica
Laveille, Paco; Guillois, Kevin; Tuel, Alain; et al. (2016)
Chemical Communications
3 nm gold nanoparticles obtained by direct chemical reduction of AuPPh3Cl in the presence of hydrophobic silica are highly active and selective over a prolonged period of time in the low temperature oxidation of CO in the presence of hydrogen.
Catalase-like activity of bovine met-hemoglobin: Interaction with the pseudo-catalytic peroxidation of anthracene traces in aqueous medium
Laveille, Paco; Galarneau, Anne; Drone, Jullien; et al. (2009)
Biotechnology Journal
Hemoglobin is a member of the hemoprotein superfamily whose main role is to transport O2 in vertebrate organisms. It has two known promiscuous enzymatic activities, peroxidase and oxygenase. Here we show for the first time that bovine hemoglobin also presents a catalase-like activity characterized by a Vmax of 344 μM/min, a KM of 24 mM and a kcat equal to 115/min. For high anthracene and hemoglobin concentrations and low hydrogen peroxide concentrations, this activity inhibits the expected oxidation of anthracene, which occurs through a peroxidase-like mechanism. Anthracene belongs to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) family whose members are carcinogenic and persistent pollutants found in industrial waste waters. Our results show that anthracene oxidation by hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide follows a typical bi-bi ping-pong mechanism with a Vmax equal to 0.250 μM/min, KM(H2O2) of 80 μM, KM(ANT) of 1.1 μM and kcat of 0.17/min. The oxidation of anthracene is shown to be pseudo-catalytic because an excess of hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide is required to make PAH completely disappear. Thus, bovine hemoglobin presents, in different degrees, all the catalytic activities of the hemoprotein group, which makes it a very interesting protein for biotechnological processes and one with which structure-activity relationships can be studied.

Publications 1 - 10 of 22

Paco Laveille

Last Name

First Name

ORCID

Organisational unit

Filters

Search Results