Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 8925

Special Issue Editors

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Minhou 350108, China
Interests: photocatalysis
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Minhou 350108, China
Interests: photocatalysis; photocatalytic degradation; photocatalytic disinfection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photodegradation processes using nanomaterials offer a sustainable strategy to solve issues related to the environmental pollution caused by toxic organic compounds, including dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, phenols, etc. However, the application of photodegradation is still limited, owing to the low photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity of photocatalytic nanomaterials. Generally, the photocatalytic performance of nanomaterials could be improved via strategies such as doping heteroatoms, anchoring functional single atoms, constructing heterojunction photocatalysts, etc. Additionally, it is desirable to develop multifunctional nanomaterials with selectivity toward targeted organic pollutants, which are commonly present in complex backgrounds with a wide range of other organic compounds. Another interesting option is to rationally design alternative metal-free nanomaterials, such as carbon-nitride (C3N4), covalent organic frameworks (COFs).

This Special Issue aims at presenting comprehensive research and review articles on the application of novel photocatalytic nanomaterials to boost the photodegradation of organic compounds. This includes research and review papers on the synthesis and characterization of novel photocatalytic nanomaterials and their application in the photodegradatioin of organic pollutants from either liquid or gaseous phases. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Heterojuction photocatalysts.
  • Photodegradation of antibiotics.
  • Enhancement of the photodegradation activity of nanomaterials.
  • Role of photocatalytic nanomaterials in removing organic pollution.
  • Mechanism and kinetics of photodegradation.
  • Single-atom nanomaterials for photodegradation.
  • Metal-free nanomaterials for photodegradation.
  • Selective photodegradation of organic pollutants.
  • Photocatalytic inactivation of bacteria.

Prof. Dr. Jinhong Bi
Dr. Guocheng Huang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • photocatalysis
  • photocatalytic degradation
  • photocatalytic nanomaterials
  • organic pollutants
  • visible light
  • heterojunctions
  • metal-free nanomaterials

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4045 KiB  
Article
Degradation of Phenol via an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) with Immobilized Commercial Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Photocatalysts
by Michael Schwarze, Steffen Borchardt, Marvin L. Frisch, Jason Collis, Carsten Walter, Prashanth W. Menezes, Peter Strasser, Matthias Driess and Minoo Tasbihi
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071249 - 31 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1914
Abstract
Four commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts, namely P25, P90, PC105, and PC500, were immobilized onto steel plates using a sol-gel binder and investigated for phenol degradation under 365 nm UV-LED irradiation. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC) analyses [...] Read more.
Four commercial titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts, namely P25, P90, PC105, and PC500, were immobilized onto steel plates using a sol-gel binder and investigated for phenol degradation under 365 nm UV-LED irradiation. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC) analyses were performed to study the impact of three types of oxygen sources (air, dispersed synthetic air, and hydrogen peroxide) on the photocatalytic performance. The photocatalyst films were stable and there were significant differences in their performance. The best result was obtained with the P90/UV/H2O2 system with 100% degradation and about 70% mineralization within 3 h of irradiation. The operating conditions varied, showing that water quality is crucial for the performance. A wastewater treatment plant was developed based on the lab-scale results and water treatment costs were estimated for two cases of irradiation: UV-LED (about 600 EUR/m3) and sunlight (about 60 EUR/m3). The data show the high potential of immobilized photocatalysts for pollutant degradation under advanced oxidation process (AOP) conditions, but there is still a need for optimization to further reduce treatment costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation)
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20 pages, 4243 KiB  
Article
Degradation of Methylparaben Using Optimal WO3 Nanostructures: Influence of the Annealing Conditions and Complexing Agent
by M. Cifre-Herrando, G. Roselló-Márquez, D. M. García-García and J. García-Antón
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4286; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234286 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1189
Abstract
In this work, WO3 nanostructures were synthesized with different complexing agents (0.05 M H2O2 and 0.1 M citric acid) and annealing conditions (400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C) to obtain optimal WO3 nanostructures to use them as [...] Read more.
In this work, WO3 nanostructures were synthesized with different complexing agents (0.05 M H2O2 and 0.1 M citric acid) and annealing conditions (400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C) to obtain optimal WO3 nanostructures to use them as a photoanode in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) degradation of an endocrine disruptor chemical. These nanostructures were studied morphologically by a field emission scanning electron microscope. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed to provide information of the electronic states of the nanostructures. The crystallinity of the samples was observed by a confocal Raman laser microscope and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, photoelectrochemical measurements (photostability, photoelectrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Mott–Schottky and water-splitting test) were also performed using a solar simulator with AM 1.5 conditions at 100 mW·cm−2. Once the optimal nanostructure was obtained (citric acid 0.01 M at an annealing temperature of 600 °C), the PEC degradation of methylparaben (CO 10 ppm) was carried out. It was followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, which allowed to obtain the concentration of the contaminant during degradation and the identification of degradation intermediates. The optimized nanostructure was proved to be an efficient photocatalyst since the degradation of methylparaben was performed in less than 4 h and the kinetic coefficient of degradation was 0.02 min−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation)
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15 pages, 5492 KiB  
Article
Insights into Photocatalytic Degradation Pathways and Mechanism of Tetracycline by an Efficient Z-Scheme NiFe-LDH/CTF-1 Heterojunction
by Jinpeng Zhang, Xiaoping Chen, Qiaoshan Chen, Yunhui He, Min Pan, Guocheng Huang and Jinhong Bi
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4111; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234111 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1612
Abstract
Photocatalysis offers a sustainable approach for recalcitrant organic pollutants degradation, yet it is still challenging to seek robust photocatalysts for application purposes. Herein, a novel NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH)/covalent triazine framework (CTF-1) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was rationally designed for antibiotics degradation under [...] Read more.
Photocatalysis offers a sustainable approach for recalcitrant organic pollutants degradation, yet it is still challenging to seek robust photocatalysts for application purposes. Herein, a novel NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH)/covalent triazine framework (CTF-1) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was rationally designed for antibiotics degradation under visible light irradiation. The NiFe-LDH/CTF-1 nanocomposites were readily obtained via in situ loading of NiFe-LDH on CTF-1 through covalent linking. The abundant coupling interfaces between two semiconductor counterparts lay the foundation for the formation of Z-scheme heterostructure, thereby effectively promoting the transfer of photogenerated electrons, inhibiting the recombination of carriers, as well as conferring the nanocomposites with stronger redox ability. Consequently, the optimal photocatalytic activity of the LDH/CTF heterojunction was significantly boosted for the degradation of a typical antibiotic, tetracycline (TC). Additionally, the photodegradation process and the mineralization of TC were further elucidated. These results envision that the LDH/CTF-1 can be a viable photocatalyst for long-term and sustainable wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation)
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12 pages, 2210 KiB  
Article
Construction of Hexagonal Prism-like Defective BiOCL Hierarchitecture for Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride
by Lijun Hu, Zhichao Ding, Fei Yan, Kuan Li, Li Feng and Hongqing Wang
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(15), 2700; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12152700 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1701
Abstract
Oxygen vacancy manipulation and hierarchical morphology construction in oxygen-containing semiconductors have been demonstrated to be effective strategies for developing high efficiency photocatalysts. In most studies of bismuth-based photocatalysts, hierarchical morphology and crystal defects are achieved separately, so the catalysts are not able to [...] Read more.
Oxygen vacancy manipulation and hierarchical morphology construction in oxygen-containing semiconductors have been demonstrated to be effective strategies for developing high efficiency photocatalysts. In most studies of bismuth-based photocatalysts, hierarchical morphology and crystal defects are achieved separately, so the catalysts are not able to benefit from both features. Herein, using boiling ethylene glycol as the treatment solution, we developed an etching-recrystallization method for the fabrication of 3D hierarchical defective BiOCl at ambient pressure. The target hierarchical 3D-BiOCl is composed of self-assembled BiOCl nanosheets, which exhibit a hexagonal prism-like morphology on a micron scale, while simultaneously containing numerous oxygen vacancies within the crystal structure. Consequently, the target catalyst was endowed with a higher specific surface area, greater light harvesting capability, as well as more efficient separation and transfer of photo-excited charges than pristine BiOCl. As a result, 3D-BiOCl presented an impressive photocatalytic activity for the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride in both visible light and natural white light emitting diode (LED) irradiation. Moreover, an extraordinary recycling property was demonstrated for the target photocatalyst thanks to its hierarchical structure. This study outlines a simple and energy-efficient approach for producing high-performance hierarchically defective BiOCl, which may also open up new possibilities for the morphological and crystal structural defect regulation of other Bi-based photocatalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation)
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11 pages, 2726 KiB  
Article
Tunable Carrier Transfer of Polymeric Carbon Nitride with Charge-Conducting CoV2O6∙2H2O for Photocatalytic O2 Evolution
by Shaohong Zang, Xiaorong Cai, Mengshan Chen, Dehong Teng, Fei Jing, Zhe Leng, Yingtang Zhou and Feng Lin
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(11), 1931; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12111931 - 05 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1775
Abstract
Photocatalytic water splitting is one of the promising approaches to solving environmental problems and energy crises. However, the sluggish 4e transfer kinetics in water oxidation half-reaction restricts the 2e reduction efficiency in photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, cobalt vanadate-decorated polymeric carbon nitride [...] Read more.
Photocatalytic water splitting is one of the promising approaches to solving environmental problems and energy crises. However, the sluggish 4e transfer kinetics in water oxidation half-reaction restricts the 2e reduction efficiency in photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, cobalt vanadate-decorated polymeric carbon nitride (named CoVO/PCN) was constructed to mediate the carrier kinetic process in a photocatalytic water oxidation reaction (WOR). The photocatalysts were well-characterized by various physicochemical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and XPS. Under UV and visible light irradiation, the O2 evolution rate of optimized 3 wt% CoVO/PCN reached 467 and 200 μmol h−1 g−1, which were about 6.5 and 5.9 times higher than that of PCN, respectively. Electrochemical tests and PL results reveal that the recombination of photogenerated carriers on PCN is effectively suppressed and the kinetics of WOR is significantly enhanced after CoVO introduction. This work highlights key features of the tuning carrier kinetics of PCN using charge-conducting materials, which should be the basis for the further development of photocatalytic O2 reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nanomaterials in Photodegradation)
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