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Special Issue "Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution"

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Photochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2023 | Viewed by 4113

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Huaqiang Zhuang

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Guest Editor

College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China
Interests: photocatalysis; nanomaterial; degradation; water treatment; H₂ production

Dr. Kai Yang

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Guest Editor

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Interests: photocatalytic degradation; CO₂ reduction; photocatalytic hydrogen production; antibacterial; material design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Hongwen Zhang

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Guest Editor

College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: photocatalytic degradation; photoelectrochemical water splitting; CO₂ reduction; H₂ production; energy conversion

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the abundant discharge of textile industrial effluent and domestic wastewater is becoming a huge challenge to public health and the environment as the development of the economy and industry continues to advance. Hence, an efficient pollution-free processing technology to remove the toxic contaminants from water waste is highly imperative and desired. Semiconductor-based photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most promising technologies to resolve the environmental issue. Much effort has been devoted to the development of high-efficiency photocatalytic materials for environmental purification.

This particular Special Issue mainly focuses on the recent developments of and challenges in the field of photocatalytic materials for environmental purification. Specifically, we welcome relevant research papers to contribute to Issue, such as the preparation and characterization of catalytic materials, novel catalyst designs, applications of photocatalytic technology in wastewater treatment, and so on.

Dr. Huaqiang Zhuang
Dr. Kai Yang
Dr. Hongwen Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

photocatalysis
nanomaterials
wastewater treatments
environmental applications
pollutants photodegradation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 5328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Synergistic Effect in CdS/g-C₃N₄ Nanoheterojunctions Improves Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance for Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

and

Molecules 2023, 28(17), 6412; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176412 - 03 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 633

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of heterojunction photocatalysts for the efficient utilization of solar energy to address the energy crisis and reduce environmental pollution. Cadmium sulfide (CdS)/graphite-type carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nanocomposites were synthesized using a hydrothermal method, and their photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) were characterized. Scanning electron microscope images showed the intimate interface and caviar-like nanoheterojunction of the CdS nanoparticles on g-C₃N₄ nanospheres, suggesting their potential involvement in the photocatalytic process. Electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses were conducted to confirm the roles of CdS in the nanoheterojunction. The results showed that 10 wt% CdS/g-C₃N₄ nanospheres exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than pure g-C₃N₄ under visible light irradiation. A HER rate of 655.5 μmol/g/h was achieved after three photocatalytic cycles, signifying good photocatalytic stability. The synergistic effect of the Z-scheme heterojunction formed by g-C₃N₄ and CdS was identified as the main factor responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance and stability. The interface engineering effect of CdS/g-C₃N₄ facilitated the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. This study provides insights into the design and fabrication of efficient HER photocatalysts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution)

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12 pages, 4096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Light Control-Induced Oxygen Vacancy Generation and In Situ Surface Heterojunction Reconstruction for Boosting CO₂ Reduction

and

Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4057; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104057 - 12 May 2023

Viewed by 871

Abstract

The weak adsorption of CO₂ and the fast recombination of photogenerated charges harshly restrain the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction efficiency. The simultaneous catalyst design with strong CO₂ capture ability and fast charge separation efficiency is challenging. Herein, taking advantage of the metastable characteristic of oxygen vacancy, amorphous defect Bi₂O₂CO₃ (named BO_vC) was built on the surface of defect-rich BiOBr (named BO_vB) through an in situ surface reconstruction progress, in which the CO₃²⁻ in solution reacted with the generated Bi^(3−x)+ around the oxygen vacancies. The in situ formed BO_vC is tightly in contact with the BO_vB and can prevent the further destruction of the oxygen vacancy sites essential for CO₂ adsorption and visible light utilization. Additionally, the superficial BO_vC associated with the internal BO_vB forms a typical heterojunction promoting the interface carriers’ separation. Finally, the in situ formation of BO_vC boosted the BOvB and showed better activity in the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ into CO (three times compared to that of pristine BiOBr). This work provides a comprehensive solution for governing defects chemistry and heterojunction design, as well as gives an in-depth understanding of the function of vacancies in CO₂ reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution)

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18 pages, 3051 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remediation of Surfactants Used by VUV/O₃ Techniques: Degradation Efficiency, Pathway and Toxicological Analysis

and

Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3312; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083312 - 08 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1033

Abstract

Surfactants are increasingly used in systems that come into contact with the human body, such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal hygiene products. Increasing attention is being devoted to the toxic effects of surfactants in various human contact formulations, as well as the removal of residual surfactants. In the presence of ozone (O₃), anion surfactants—a characteristic micro-pollutant—such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) in greywater, can be removed using radical advanced oxidation. Herein, we report a systematic study of the SDBS degradation effect of O₃ activated by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation and the influence of water composition on VUV/O₃, and determined the contribution of radical species. We show a synergistic effect of VUV and O₃, while VUV/O₃ reached a higher mineralization (50.37%) than that of VUV (10.63%) and O₃ (29.60%) alone. The main reactive radicals of VUV/O₃ were HO•. VUV/O₃ had an optimal pH of 9. The addition of SO₄²⁻ had almost no effect on the degradation of SDBS by VUV/O₃, Cl⁻ and HCO₃⁻ slightly reduced the reaction rate, and NO₃⁻ had a significant inhibition on the degradation. In total, SDBS had three isomers, with which the three degradation pathways were very comparable. Compared with SDBS, the toxicity and harmfulness of the degradation by-products of the VUV/O₃ process decreased. Additionally, VUV/O₃ could degrade synthetic anion surfactants from laundry greywater effectively. Overall, the results show the potential of VUV/O₃ in safeguarding humans from residual surfactant hazards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution)

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15 pages, 2624 KiB

Open AccessReview

Applications of BiOX in the Photocatalytic Reactions

Zhimin Yuan

and

Zaiyong Jiang

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4400; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114400 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1280

Abstract

BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) families are a kind of new type of photocatalysts, which have attracted the attention of more and more researchers. The suitable band gaps and their convenient tunability via the change of X elements enable BiOX to adapt to many photocatalytic reactions. In addition, because of their characteristics of the unique layered structure and indirect bandgap semiconductor, BiOX exhibits excellent separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. Therefore, BiOX could usually demonstrate fine activity in many photocatalytic reactions. In this review, we will present the various applications and modification strategies of BiOX in photocatalytic reactions. Finally, based on a good understanding of the above issues, we will propose the future directions and feasibilities of the reasonable design of modification strategies of BiOX to obtain better photocatalytic activity toward various photocatalytic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution)

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Special Issue "Photocatalysis in the Control of Environmental Pollution"

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