3. Outlook

3.1 Environmental impact

Controlling or reducing the release of pollutants into the atmosphere is a topical issue. Among these pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) account for a significant proportion of emissions and are of particular concern to public opinion, as their emissions entail health risks and contribute to photochemical pollution. Against this backdrop, the work described in this article could form part of a study into the reduction of VOC emissions via a primary technique known as "reduction at source". Indeed, it has been shown that catalytic transformations take place in water, thus limiting the use of organic solvents, one of the main sources of VOC emissions. Finally, the fact that activated carbons can be produced from agricultural and forestry residues,...