Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Qingshuang Zhao, Ting Xu, Xueping Song, Shuangxi Nie, Sun-Eun Choi, Chuanling Si
Summary: This paper reviews the preparation of magnetic biochar and its application in wastewater treatment, emphasizing the effectiveness of magnetic biochar in adsorbing pollutants and its advantages in solving water treatment challenges.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Huiping Zeng, Chengbo Liu, He Xu, Ruixia Hao, Jie Zhang, Dong Li
Summary: The utilization of water treatment residuals is a popular research topic, and in this study, carbon-doped magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@C) were prepared using iron mud from a groundwater treatment plant. The Fe3O4@C was used in a magnetic coagulation (MC) process to assess its superiority compared to traditional coagulation (TC). The results showed that Fe3O4@C significantly improved the removal rates of turbidity, UV254, and DOC, and had the potential to remove small molecular weight organic matter effectively.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pavel Ryabchuk, Muhammad Anwar, Sarim Dastgir, Kathrin Junge, Matthias Beller
Summary: Electronic waste, a rapidly growing waste stream, is often exported to developing countries where it causes environmental damage and health risks. Developing new strategies for metal recovery from E-waste is crucial, and a methodology for converting E-waste to catalytic materials with byproduct gold-enriched solids has been described in this study.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Xiang Li, Yang Qin, Yan Jia, Yanyan Li, Yixuan Zhao, Yuwei Pan, Jianhui Sun
Summary: Fe-based BC composites are promising catalysts for environmental remediation due to their low costs and excellent physicochemical surface characteristics. Various methods have been used to prepare Fe-BC composites, affecting their pollutant removal performance. The mechanisms of pollutant removal by Fe-BC include adsorption, degradation, and reduction.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Muhammad Hamza, Muhammad Ayoub, Rashid Bin Shamsuddin, Ahmad Mukhtar, Sidra Saqib, Imtisal Zahid, Mariam Ameen, Sami Ullah, Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi, Muhammad Ibrahim
Summary: Biodiesel is produced through the transesterification process of various oils and fats, with the choice of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. Heterogeneous catalysts have advantages such as simple manufacturing, ease of separation, and high reusability, making them significant in biodiesel production.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jingxi Tie, Shuo Sang, Zhenya Shang, Yingqi Li, Zhitao Xu, Molin Lian, Chunbao Du
Summary: The development and application of a novel Al-loaded magnetic Chinese medicine residue-derived biochar (Al/Fe3O4/CMRB) for effective fluoride adsorption was studied. The adsorbent showed good fluoride adsorption performance in different pH ranges. The thermodynamic study confirmed the spontaneous and exothermic nature of fluoride adsorption by Al/Fe3O4/CMRB.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Homa Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, Cheng Li, Xiangmeng Chen, Wanxi Peng, Mortaza Aghbashlo, Su Shiung Lam, Meisam Tabatabaei
Summary: The study aims to explore the reuse of waste cooking oil, converting it into alternative energy sources such as biodiesel. The importance of developing catalysts derived from renewable waste-oriented resources to enhance the sustainability of the process is emphasized.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
G. Sabia, M. Tammaro, P. Cerchier, A. Salluzzo, K. Brunelli
Summary: Photovoltaic technology is a low-carbon and efficient option for electricity production. End-of-life PV panels will generate new waste that can be managed to recover secondary raw materials. This study focused on treating the wastewater generated from the hydrometallurgical process and found that induced precipitation with strong acid or alkaline solutions achieved high metal removal rates. Neutral pH was found to be optimal. Industrial-scale tests confirmed the effectiveness of the approach in achieving wastewater treatment and resource recovery.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wei Chen, Mei Zeng, Junjiao Yang
Summary: In this study, a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst was prepared by modifying activated carbon and loading it with different metal compounds, which showed synergistic catalysis and high efficiency in degrading organic pollutants. With optimization and testing, the catalyst exhibited high degradation efficiency and stability under specific conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Esun Selvam, Yuqing Luo, Marianthi Ierapetritou, Raul F. Lobo, Dionisios G. Vlachos
Summary: The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment is a significant threat to both the environment and human health. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), mainly found in single-use plastic bottles, contributes greatly to this waste. Current recycling strategies are not sufficient to address the global plastic waste problem. PET glycolysis shows promise as a depolymerization method, but finding effective and sustainable catalysts, as well as improving energy efficiency, remain challenges. In this study, we use microwave heating in PET glycolysis and identify ZnO as an excellent catalyst. We demonstrate how ZnO's particle size, facet, and hydrogen bonding affect its activity. We also show that ZnO-catalyzed glycolysis achieves high yields of bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) from real-world post-consumer PET waste in less than 10 minutes. Life cycle assessment indicates that BHET produced by ZnO-catalyzed glycolysis has lower global warming potential compared to petrochemical-based production and homogeneously-catalyzed glycolysis.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Songyan Jiang, Ling Zhang, Hui Hua, Xuewei Liu, Huijun Wu, Zengwei Yuan
Summary: The study estimated the waste of end-of-life EV batteries in China and highlighted the economic benefits of battery recycling for material recovery and energy storage. It also emphasized the spatial mismatch of energy storage capacity supply and demand between eastern and western regions in China.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kangana P. Bhatt, Sanjay Patel, Darshit S. Upadhyay, Rajesh N. Patel
Summary: Energy security and waste management are global concerns, and a circular economy that converts waste to energy and value-added products is advocated. Plasma technology is an emerging solution for waste treatment, converting waste into syngas, oil, and char/slag. Adding catalysts to plasma processes improves gas yield and hydrogen selectivity. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the research in using plasma-catalytic processes for waste-to-energy conversion.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Sungyup Jung, Taewoo Lee, Jechan Lee, Kun-Yi Andrew Lin, Young-Kwon Park, Eilhann E. Kwon
Summary: With the increasing global demand for vehicles, the importance of waste materials generated from end-of-life vehicles becomes more severe. A sustainable valorization platform for vehicle waste has been suggested, converting them into energy-intensive products through pyrolysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Peitao Zhao, Yanling Zhao, Huagen Liang, Xueping Song, Bo Yu, Fang Liu, Art J. Ragauskas, Cuiping Wang
Summary: This study presents the synthesis of a waste-derived electrocatalyst named P-CoNiO2@NC under mild conditions. The catalyst exhibits excellent performance in hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) in both acid and alkaline conditions, with good stability. Moreover, the waste-derived carbon substrate promotes HER activity of other dual 3d transition metal oxides. The improved HER activity can be attributed to electron transfer, electronic structure adjustment, and optimization of intermediates adsorption, as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. This work provides insights into converting waste into value-added products and offers a sustainable strategy for hydrogen energy production.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ahmed I. Osman, Ahmed M. Elgarahy, Neha Mehta, Ala'a H. Al-Muhtaseb, Ahmed S. Al-Fatesh, David W. Rooney
Summary: In this study, biomass waste was mixed with plastic waste to produce a magnetic char composite material for better separation in water treatment. The environmental impacts of the adsorbent material were also calculated, showing high sorption capacity and recyclability. The findings from this study will contribute to the development of more sustainable and cost-effective magnetic sorbents.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Zhongjuan Wang, Ye Du, Peng Zhou, Zhaokun Xiong, Chuanshu He, Yang Liu, Heng Zhang, Gang Yao, Bo Lai
Summary: Low Fe(II) generation is the main limitation for Fenton process, and providing electrons is the solution to promote Fe(III) reduction. This study systematically reviewed the strategies for enhancing Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle based on electron donors, which can be classified into five categories: e-PF, e-EF, e-Re, e-Ox, and e-TC. The principles and mechanisms of each enhanced Fenton process were clarified, and the role of chelate agents and carbon-based materials were discussed. Among them, e-Re showed the best performance in pollutant degradation, making it the most promising approach. The development of reductants for future practical application is necessary.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Minxian Cheng, Yichu Zhang, Bo Lai, Lingzhen Wang, Shengjiong Yang, Kailong Li, Dongqi Wang, Yaoguo Wu, Guang-Hao Chen, Jin Qian
Summary: Nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped porous carbons were synthesized and their excellent degradation ability to tetracycline was observed. Electron transfer mediated by metastable reactive complexes and singlet oxygen played a key role in the degradation process. The introduction of phosphorus promoted the adsorption and activation of peroxydisulfate, leading to high-efficiency removal of contaminants.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Min Wang, Yiwu Tang, Jiadian Wang, Zhenqi Xu, Qing Dong, Taizhuo Ma, Bo Lai
Summary: This study prepared a nitrogen-doped carbon-embedded iron on a nickel foam cathode for the activation of peroxydisulfate for organic pollutant degradation. The optimized cathode showed excellent removal efficiency for sulfamethoxazole, with almost 100% removal achieved in 15 minutes. The study also provided valuable insights into the catalytic active sites of the cathode for PDS activation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yahan Yu, Chunxiu Yu, Zelin Wu, Bingkun Huang, Peng Zhou, Heng Zhang, Wen Liu, Yucheng Liu, Zhaokun Xiong, Bo Lai
Summary: In this study, an electrocatalytic ozonation (ECO) system called ECO-Fe-cathode was developed, which achieved higher degradation efficiency of pollutants compared to the ECO-Fe-anode system. The primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ECO-Fe-cathode system was found to be singlet oxygen (O-1(2)), while hydroxyl radicals ((OH)-O-center dot) were the primary ROS in the ECO-Fe-anode system. This research provides a fundamental breakthrough in designing efficient and harmless ECO systems for wastewater treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuchen Zhang, Peng Zhou, Rongfu Huang, Chenying Zhou, Yang Liu, Heng Zhang, Xiaowei Huo, Jian Zhao, Zhaokun Xiong, Bo Lai
Summary: In this study, iron boride (FeB) was proposed as a new material to sustainably decompose H2O2 to generate hydroxyl radicals, which can degrade refractory organic pollutants. Fe(II) was steadily released by the oxidation of FeB, and B-B bonds on the surface of FeB promoted the regeneration of Fe(II) from Fe(III) and accelerated the production of hydroxyl radicals. The FeB/H2O2 system showed low generation of toxic by-products and high utilization rate of iron species, providing a green and long-lasting environmental remediation strategy.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lili Ma, Jieyu Xu, Yucheng Liu, Yongtao An, Zhicheng Pan, Bing Yang, Lingli Li, Ting Hu, Bo Lai
Summary: In this study, a bimetallic organic framework doped with Cu was fabricated and used as a catalyst for the degradation of tetracycline through the combined process of visible-light photocatalysis and persulfate oxidation. The results showed that the Cu-doped framework significantly improved the degradation efficiency of tetracycline under certain operating conditions.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lingli Li, Qi Liao, Bingchao Hou, Chuanshu He, Jiamei Liu, Bingrui Li, Ming Yu, Yucheng Liu, Bo Lai, Bing Yang
Summary: A functionalized magnetic chitosan beads (MCB-ECH-SH/SO3H) was found to efficiently remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from wastewater by reducing it to less toxic trivalent chromium (Cr(III)). The material also exhibited high stability, strong reducing capacity, easy recycling, making it an ideal candidate for treating chromium-containing wastewater.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ge Gou, Yanchun Huang, Yuesen Wang, Chao Liu, Naiwen Li, Bo Lai, Xia Xiang, Jun Li
Summary: By utilizing the channel structure of loofah, 3D magnetic Fe3C/Fe-doped biochar was prepared and used as a functional activator for CBZ removal. The optimized 0.5Fe@LSBC800 showed excellent catalytic activity and almost complete CBZ removal within 30 minutes, outperforming other systems. The catalytic mechanism and degradation pathways were proposed based on comprehensive characterization analysis and probe experiments, and the practical application potential of the system was evaluated.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiali Peng, Peng Zhou, Hongyu Zhou, Bingkun Huang, Minglu Sun, Chuan-Shu He, Heng Zhang, Zhimin Ao, Wen Liu, Bo Lai
Summary: The mechanism of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-driven periodate (PI) activation for the oxidation of phenols was investigated. It was found that CNTs can strongly boost PI activation by forming high-potential metastable intermediates (CNTs-PI*). The adsorption of phenols on CNT surfaces and the electronic properties of CNTs play critical roles in the oxidation process.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zelin Wu, Bingkun Huang, Xinhao Wang, Chuan-Shu He, Yang Liu, Ye Du, Wen Liu, Zhaokun Xiong, Bo Lai
Summary: The catalytic activity of Fe-NxC4-x sites with different coordination environments was predicted through theoretical calculations. Substituting N with C to coordinate with Fe atom resulted in inferior Fenton-like catalytic efficiency. Three configurations of Fe-SACs (Fe-N2C2, Fe-N3C1, and Fe-N4) were fabricated and showed that optimized Fe-NxC4-x coordination environments significantly promoted Fenton-like catalytic activity. The coordination dependency of Fe-SACs was also observed in terms of catalytic stability and actual hospital sewage treatment capacity. This strategy of local coordination engineering provides an example of how to modulate SACs with well-regulated coordination environments to maximize their catalytic efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bingkun Huang, Xinyi Ren, Jian Zhao, Zelin Wu, Xinhao Wang, Xinyu Song, Xuning Li, Bin Liu, Zhaokun Xiong, Bo Lai
Summary: This study reports the functional group modification of model single atom catalysts (SACs) to improve the catalytic performance in Fenton-like reactions. The modified cobalt phthalocyanine catalyst exhibited superior catalytic activity and the mechanism was revealed through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Scale-up experiments also demonstrated the stability and efficiency of the catalyst.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bingkun Huang, Zelin Wu, Xinhao Wang, Xinyu Song, Hongyu Zhou, Heng Zhang, Peng Zhou, Wen Liu, Zhaokun Xiong, Bo Lai
Summary: This study proposes a novel peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system that utilizes the surface-confinement effect to accelerate the catalytic oxidation process. The generation of high-valent iron-oxo species is confirmed through experiments, and the surface-confinement effect is shown to enhance the charge transfer rate and reduce the free energy barrier for PMS activation. The system exhibits excellent pollutant degradation efficiency, resistance to coexisting matter, and adaptability to a wide pH range and temperature environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Liwei Yang, Chao Hai, Heng Zhang, Can Feng, Mengfan Luo, Peng Zhou, Juntong Leng, Xinyuan Tian, Chuanliang Zhao, Bo Lai
Summary: This study investigated the degradation of methyl parathion using potassium ferrate. It was found that potassium ferrate has strong oxidation and adsorption abilities, and can completely degrade methyl parathion within a short period of time. Three conversion pathways of methyl parathion were proposed based on the identified by-products, and the toxicity of potassium ferrate-degraded methyl parathion was significantly reduced.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Peishan Li, Hui Ma, Sijia Qian, Yi Chen, Bo Lai, Shengyan Pu
Summary: In this study, nFeS was modified with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to improve its stability and catalytic reactivity. The CMC-nFeS activator showed a higher reaction rate constant and better removal efficiency of p-nitrophenol compared to pure nFeS.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rongrong Ding, Guannan Zhou, Chuanshu He, Wenqiang Li, Yiran Wang, Xiaocheng Liu, Bo Lai, Yang Mu
Summary: This study highlights the influence of coexisting heavy metals on the degradation of contaminants during FeS oxygenation. The introduction of Co2+ and Ni2+ significantly enhances the degradation of bisphenol A by increasing the generation of reactive species.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
(2024)
