Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
5.3
Journals
Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation
share announcement

Special Issue "Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation"

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2024 | Viewed by 4397

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xilin Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
Interests: nanomaterials; electrocatalysis; photocatalysis; environmental remdiation; advanced oxidation processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global population is booming and production activities are ever-growing, leading to the discharging of various pollutants into the environmental media (e.g., soil, water, and air). When the concentration of the pollutants exceeds certain limits and poses great risks to the environment and human health, remediation actions are necessary. Techniques such as adsorption, biological treatment, physicochemical reactions, and membrane filtration are usually studied for environmental remediation. In the last decade, nanomaterials, owing to their large surface area, high surface reactivity, and multifunctional properties, have been studied extensively for environmental applications. Among various nanotechniques, nanocatalyst-based physicochemical methods with high reactivity for oxidation or reduction reactions are one of the most promising techniques for pollutants’ transformation and removal. Though significant progress has been made in recent years, the poor stability, costliness of preparation and applications, and potential toxicity to the environment are the main obstacles that limit nanocatalysts’ use for practical applications. Thus, green, sustainable, and cost-effective nanocatalysts are in demand for the development of state-of-the-art nanotechnologies for environmental remediation.

This Special Issue aims to present state-of-the-art nanocatalysts and related nanotechnologies for water, soil, or air remediation. We invite authors to contribute original research articles and review articles covering the current progress on nanocatalysts for environmental remediation. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Nanocatalysts for soil/water remediation.
  • Nanocatalysts mediated AOPs for wastewater treatment.
  • Nanocatalysts for volatile organic compounds’ removal.
  • Nanocatalysts for sterilization and disinfection.
  • Nanocatalysts for CO2
  • Coupled techniques for environmental remediation mediated by nanocatalysts.

Dr. Xilin Wu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanocatalysts
  • environmental remediation
  • water treatment
  • soil remediation
  • advanced oxidation process
  • CO2 conversion
  • catalytic oxidation
  • catalytic reduction

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 3473 KiB  
Article
Textile Waste-Derived Cobalt Nanoparticles Embedded in Active Carbon Fiber for Efficient Activation of Peroxymonosulfate to Remove Organic Pollutants
by
Peiyuan Xiao
,
Ying Wang
,
Huanzheng Du
,
Zhiyong Yan
,
Bincheng Xu
and
Guangming Li
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(19), 2724; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13192724 - 08 Oct 2023
Viewed by 637
Abstract
Burning and dumping textile wastes have caused serious damage to the environment and are a huge waste of resources. In this work, cobalt nanoparticles embedded in active carbon fiber (Co/ACF) were prepared from bio-based fabric wastes, including cotton, flax and viscose. The obtained [...] Read more.
Burning and dumping textile wastes have caused serious damage to the environment and are a huge waste of resources. In this work, cobalt nanoparticles embedded in active carbon fiber (Co/ACF) were prepared from bio-based fabric wastes, including cotton, flax and viscose. The obtained Co/ACF was applied as a catalyst for the heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to remove bisphenol A (BPA) from an aqueous solution. The results showed that cotton-, flax- and viscose-derived Co/ACF all exhibited excellent performance for BPA degradation; over ~97.0% of BPA was removed within 8 min. The Co/ACF/PMS system exhibited a wide operating pH range, with a low consumption of the catalyst (0.1 g L−1) and PMS (0.14 g L−1). The high specific surface area (342 m2/g) and mesoporous structure of Co/ACF allowed the efficient adsorption of pollutants as well as provided more accessible active sites for PMS activation. This study provided an example of using textile wastes to produce a valuable and recyclable catalyst for environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 4052 KiB  
Article
ZnO/Graphene Oxide on Halloysite Nanotubes as a Superabsorbent Nanocomposite Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Organic Dyes
by
Jongik Park
,
Hyungwook Lee
,
Keonku Lee
,
Sieun Noh
,
Soyeong Jin
,
Jungho Jae
,
Youngdo Jeong
and
Jaegeun Noh
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(13), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13131895 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 944
Abstract
Using renewable photocatalysts for pollutant degradation represents a promising approach to addressing environmental water challenges by harnessing solar energy without additional energy consumption. However, for the practical use of photocatalysts, it is necessary to improve catalyst efficiency, considering cost and biocompatibility. In this [...] Read more.
Using renewable photocatalysts for pollutant degradation represents a promising approach to addressing environmental water challenges by harnessing solar energy without additional energy consumption. However, for the practical use of photocatalysts, it is necessary to improve catalyst efficiency, considering cost and biocompatibility. In this study, we developed a new superabsorbent photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dyes in water. Our photocatalyst comprises halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with a large outer diameter and Si-O and Al-O groups on the outer and inner surfaces, respectively; graphene oxide (GO) possessing numerous sp2 bonds and light-conductive properties; and ZnO, which can degrade organic molecules via a photon source. By exploiting the superabsorbent properties of GOs for organic dyes and stabilizing ZnO nanoparticles on HNTs to inhibit aggregation, our photocatalysts demonstrated significantly improved degradability compared to ZnO nanoparticles alone and combinations of ZnO with HNTs or GO. The structural characteristics of the nanocomposites were characterized using SEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and XRD. Their enhanced photocatalytic activity was demonstrated by the degradation of rhodamine b in water, showing 95% photodegradation under UV illumination for 60 min, while the ZnO nanoparticles showed only 56% dye degradation under the same condition. Additionally, the degradation rate was enhanced by four times. Furthermore, the catalysts maintained their initial activity with no significant loss after four uses, showing their potential for practical implementation in the mass purification of wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3416 KiB  
Article
Facile Fabrication of TiO2 Quantum Dots-Anchored g-C3N4 Nanosheets as 0D/2D Heterojunction Nanocomposite for Accelerating Solar-Driven Photocatalysis
by
Jin-Hyoek Lee
,
Sang-Yun Jeong
,
Young-Don Son
and
Sang-Wha Lee
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13091565 - 06 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1067
Abstract
TiO₂ semiconductors exhibit a low catalytic activity level under visible light because of their large band gap and fast recombination of electron–hole pairs. This paper reports the simple fabrication of a 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst by anchoring TiO₂ quantum dots (QDs) on graphite-like C₃N₄ [...] Read more.
TiO₂ semiconductors exhibit a low catalytic activity level under visible light because of their large band gap and fast recombination of electron–hole pairs. This paper reports the simple fabrication of a 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst by anchoring TiO₂ quantum dots (QDs) on graphite-like C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄) nanosheets (NSs); the photocatalyst is denoted as TiO₂ QDs@g-C₃N₄. The nanocomposite was characterized via analytical instruments, such as powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, t orange (MO) under solar light were compared. The TiO₂ QDs@g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst exhibited 95.57% MO degradation efficiency and ~3.3-fold and 5.7-fold higher activity level than those of TiO₂ QDs and g-C₃N₄ NSs, respectively. Zero-dimensional/two-dimensional heterojunction formation with a staggered electronic structure leads to the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers via a Z-scheme pathway, which significantly accelerates photocatalysis under solar light. This study provides a facile synthetic method for the rational design of 0D/2D heterojunction nanocomposites with enhanced solar-driven catalytic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 11906 KiB  
Review
Advanced Photocatalytic Uranium Extraction Strategies: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects
by
Wangchuan Zhu
,
Xiang Li
,
Danjun Wang
,
Feng Fu
and
Yucang Liang
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(13), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13132005 - 06 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1293
Abstract
Nuclear energy with low carbon emission and high-energy density is considered as one of the most promising future energy sources for human beings. However, the use of nuclear energy will inevitably lead to the discharge of nuclear waste and the consumption of uranium [...] Read more.
Nuclear energy with low carbon emission and high-energy density is considered as one of the most promising future energy sources for human beings. However, the use of nuclear energy will inevitably lead to the discharge of nuclear waste and the consumption of uranium resources. Therefore, the development of simple, efficient, and economical uranium extraction methods is of great significance for the sustainable development of nuclear energy and the restoration of the ecological environment. Photocatalytic U(VI) extraction technology as a simple, highly efficient, and low-cost strategy, received increasing attention from researchers. In this review, the development background of photocatalytic U(VI) extraction and several photocatalytic U(VI) reduction mechanisms are briefly described and the identification methods of uranium species after photocatalytic reduction are addressed. Subsequently, the modification strategies of several catalysts used for U(VI) extraction are summarized and the advantages and disadvantages of photocatalytic U(VI) extraction are compared. Additionally, the research progress of photocatalytic technology for U(VI) extraction in actual uranium-containing wastewater and seawater are evaluated. Finally, the current challenges and the developments of photocatalytic U(VI) extraction technology in the future are prospected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocatalysts for Environmental Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: High Photocatalytic Effect of Graphene Oxide/Halloysite Nanotubes/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites for Degradation of Organic Dye
Authors: Jongik Park; Soyeong Jin; Youngdo Jeong; Jaegeun Noh
Affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
Abstract: Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are nature-generated clay materials with nanotube structures. They have a large outer diameter of the Si-O group on the outside and the Ai-O group on the inside. HNTs is used in various applications with 10 Å interlayer spaces and high absorption. Graphene oxide (GO) is a sp2 bond and a light conductive material. As a result, it has a good adsorption component. In this study, we used the synergistic adsorption of HNTs and GO as the motivation. Photocatalytic experiments were conducted based on the use of the two as catalysts. ZnO is a semiconductor material with a band gap of 3.17 eV, which has been often used as a photocatalysis for degradation of organic dye. However, raw ZnO nanoparticles are poorly active in large amounts and for long time photocatalysis due to its strong aggregation. To overcome this issue, we combined adsorptive HNTs and GO with ZnO to create new nanocomposite consisting of GO/HNTs/ZnO. The nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, x-ray Diffraction (XRD). It was found that GO/HNTs/ZnO nanocomposites showed higher photocatalytic effect for degradation of organic dyes by ~5 times compared with ZnO or HNTs/ZnO materials.

Back to TopTop