Applications of Nanocatalytic Processes: Water, Wastewater and Air Treatment

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanostructured Catalysts".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 4525

Special Issue Editors


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1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
2. University Centre for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
Interests: green chemistry; nanomaterials; sustainable synthesis; environmental remediation’s; advanced oxidation processes; heavy metal ion sensing; catalysis; photocatalysis; seed germination; antimicrobial activity
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Department of Bio-Technology, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh 522302, India
Interests: Biofuel; biopolymer; biological wastewater treatment; fermentation
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Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, C-216A, Greater Noida 201314, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interests: biological treatment of wastewater and waste gas; air pollution control; solid waste management

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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, NIIT University, Neemrana 301705, Rajasthan, India
Interests: biological wastewater treatment; waste to energy and value-added products; process development for natural products extraction; life cycle analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution has raised significantly in recent years due to the increase in anthropogenic activities. The release of pollutants through these activities causes severe damage to the environment. These pollutants are well-mixed and persistent in soil, water, and air system. Therefore, suitable techniques are required to monitor, detect, and mitigate these contaminants from their source/environment. Several techniques such as physical, chemical, biological, and membrane-based, etc. have been adopted in the recent past for the treatment of these pollutants. However, the complete removal of a few specific pollutants from their source is challenging through these conventional techniques. Therefore, more advanced integrated processes are required to alleviate these pollutants from the environment. With the advancement of nanotechnology in recent years, nanoparticles with unique physicochemical properties have exhibited outstanding accomplishments in several areas including water, wastewater, and air treatment.

In view of this, this Special Issue aims to cover the most recent progress and advances in the application of nanomaterials in the treatment of water, wastewater, and air. This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute original research articles and reviews focusing on the application of nanoparticles in water, wastewater, and air treatment processes. The scope of this special issue covers but is not limited to the following aspects:

  • Synthesis of nanomaterials for environmental application
  • Application of nanomaterials in the degradation of pollutants from water
  • Nanomaterials in wastewater treatment and resource recovery
  • Nanomembranes for wastewater and air treatment
  • Nanoadsorbent
  • Nanocatalysts for VOCs removal
  • Nanosensors for the detection of pollutants

Dr. Jagpreet Singh
Dr. Pritam Kumar Dikshit
Dr. Susant Kumar Padhi
Dr. Lopa Pattanaik
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • green synthesis of nanoparticles
  • wastewater treatment
  • air treatment
  • pollutants
  • industrial wastewater
  • membrane filtration
  • enzyme immobilization
  • sensor

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 11311 KiB  
Article
Neodymium-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Catalytic Cathode for Enhanced Efficiency of Microbial Desalination Cells
by Sunil Chauhan, Shweta Rai, Soumya Pandit, Arpita Roy, Amel Gacem, Gamal A. El-Hiti, Krishna Kumar Yadav, Balasubramani Ravindran, Ji-Kwang Cheon and Byong-Hun Jeon
Catalysts 2023, 13(8), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13081164 - 28 Jul 2023
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Abstract
The Microbial Desalination Cell is a novel method for desalinating water that also generates energy via substrate oxidation. The MDC comprises three chambers: the anode chamber, the desalination chamber, and the cathode chamber. The fundamental problem with the technology is that it generates [...] Read more.
The Microbial Desalination Cell is a novel method for desalinating water that also generates energy via substrate oxidation. The MDC comprises three chambers: the anode chamber, the desalination chamber, and the cathode chamber. The fundamental problem with the technology is that it generates very little power during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). One solution to this issue is to use a highly active cathode catalyst, which effectively increases the ORR rate. Neodymium-doped ZnO nanoparticles were produced and employed as a cathode catalyst in the three-chambered MDC1 to improve performance. Zn1−xNdxO nanocrystalline samples containing x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.6, and 0.10 were synthesized efficiently through the cost-efficient sol-gel method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction techniques revealed the nanocrystalline nature and the phase purity of the Zn1−xNdxO samples. The structural properties of ZnO nanostructured materials were elucidated by Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns, which showed displacement of Zn and O ions and revealed changes in the electron density around the Zn-O bond with Nd substitution. The local features of light emission from Zn1−xNdxO samples have been studied with photoluminescence. The UV and green-yellow emissions originate from the exciton transition and the transition between the Nd3+ deep level, oxygen vacancy and interstitial oxygen. The results were compared to MDC-2, which did not have a catalyst on the cathode. Both MDCs were tested using a saline water solution containing 15 g/L of NaCl to measure their desalination performance. The better reduction kinetics was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry of the MDC-1 cathode. MDC-1 had a higher desalination efficiency (77.02% ± 2.0%) due to the presence of an Nd-doped ZnO catalyst than MDC-2 (59.3% ± 8.3%). MDC-1’s maximum power density of 3.65 W/m3 was 2.78 times greater than MDC-2’s (0.78 W/m3). Furthermore, the coulombic efficiency of MDC-1 was found to be (8.8 ± 0.3%), which was much higher than that of MDC-2 (4.56 ± 0.2%). As a result, the Nd-doped ZnO-based catalyst developed in this study can potentially improve ORR in MDC cathodes, enabling them to generate more power. Full article
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14 pages, 2566 KiB  
Article
Polyol Synthesis of Ag-Doped Copper Oxide Nanoparticles as a Methylene Blue-Degrading Agent
by Yogeshwar Baste, Vikram Jadhav, Arpita Roy, Saad Alghamdi, Mohamed Abbas, Jari S. Algethami, Mazen Almehmadi, Mamdouh Allahyani, Devvret Verma, Krishna Kumar Yadav, Byong-Hun Jeon and Hyun-Kyung Park
Catalysts 2023, 13(7), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13071143 - 23 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1495
Abstract
The use of metal oxide nanomaterials as photocatalysts for wastewater treatment has received significant attention in recent years due to their unique physicochemical properties. In this study, we use a polyol-mediated refluxing method to synthesize silver-incorporated copper oxide nanomaterials (Ag@CuO NMs). The use [...] Read more.
The use of metal oxide nanomaterials as photocatalysts for wastewater treatment has received significant attention in recent years due to their unique physicochemical properties. In this study, we use a polyol-mediated refluxing method to synthesize silver-incorporated copper oxide nanomaterials (Ag@CuO NMs). The use of tetra butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) as a capping agent and ethylene glycol as a reducing agent for Ag+ to Ag is elaborated upon. The prepared Ag@CuO NMs were tested for their ability to degrade water pollutants, specifically methylene blue (MB) dye. Two different Ag contents, weights of 3% and 5%, were used to produce modified CuO-based nanomaterials. The crystalline structures of the NMs were characterized via XRD diffraction, and the morphology of the materials was investigated using FE-SEM. The optical properties were studied using UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the Ag@CuO NMs was evaluated by analyzing the degradation of MB dye when exposed to UV-visible light. Our results showed that the 5% weight Ag@CuO NM sample exhibited the most efficient degradation activity against MB dye. Therefore, these nanomaterials hold potential for photocatalytic applications, particularly for wastewater purification. Full article
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13 pages, 2612 KiB  
Article
Application of Biogenic TiO2 Nanoparticles as ORR Catalysts on Cathode for Enhanced Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell
by Ankit Kumar, Tabassum Siddiqui, Soumya Pandit, Arpita Roy, Amel Gacem, Abdullah Al Souwaileh, Abhilasha Singh Mathuriya, Tasneem Fatma, Promila Sharma, Sarvesh Rustagi, Krishna Kumar Yadav, Byong-Hun Jeon and Hyun-Kyung Park
Catalysts 2023, 13(6), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13060937 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to break down organic matter and generate power, which is an exciting new field of research. MFCs’ power generation relies on oxygen reduction (ORR) at the cathode. However, the slow kinetics of the ORR can severely limit [...] Read more.
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) use microorganisms to break down organic matter and generate power, which is an exciting new field of research. MFCs’ power generation relies on oxygen reduction (ORR) at the cathode. However, the slow kinetics of the ORR can severely limit the performance of MFCs. Additionally, the growth of biofilm on the cathode hampers the ORR process. In order to ensure the sustainability of MFCs over time, it is crucial to employ bifunctional catalysts that can address these issues. Biogenic titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and applied to a graphite sheet cathode in this study. Cyanobacteria, Phormidium species NCCU-104, was used to bio-fabricate titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. NPs were characterized using SEM and TEM analysis to determine their size, shape, surface morphology, and XRD. The particles had an average size of 18.11 nm, were spherical, and were well-dispersed, according to the results of the physicochemical characterization. TiO2 NPs were evaluated in MFC using different concentrations (0.5–2.5 mg/cm2) in the cathode to generate electricity and coulombic efficiency. MFC with a cathode impregnated with 2.0 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP produced maximum power density (15.2 W/m3), which was 38% more than 0.5 mg/cm2 TiO2 NP. The overall study results indicated that biogenic TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) could be an effective and low-cost catalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and significantly improve biofouling. Due to its efficient and affordable contribution to the ORR, these results imply that biogenic TiO2 NPs might be a feasible alternative for improving the performance of MFCs. Full article
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