Article
Engineering, Environmental
Noha Amaly, Ahmed Y. EL-Moghazy, Nitin Nitin, Gang Sun, Pramod K. Pandey
Summary: A flexible and recyclable metal-free photodynamic aerogel composite, MCC/MT-MB, has been synthesized without the use of chemical modifiers, showing 97% tetracycline removal efficiency within 120 min. The aerogel utilizes montmorillonite particles hosting methylene blue as adsorbent and photocatalyst, playing a main role in tetracycline adsorption and photodegradation by the Type II photoexitation mechanism.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Zongyu Zhang, Xiuling Xue, Xiaoyi Chen
Summary: A novel ternary dual Z-scheme photocatalyst CNN/AP/BO was successfully synthesized and showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for tetracycline degradation under visible light. The improved performance can be attributed to extended visible-light absorption and increased specific surface area. Electron spin resonance and quenching experiments confirmed the production of abundant active radicals.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ankita Guleria, Rohit Sharma, Amritpal Singh, Navneet Kumar Upadhyay, Pooja Shandilya
Summary: The PANI/Ag2O/Cu2O (PAC) direct dual-Z-scheme heterojunction was synthesized by ultrasonic-assisted wet impregnation method, demonstrating efficient photodegradation of methylene blue. Factors influencing the degradation rate, degradation mechanism, and intermediate formed were analyzed. XPS analysis and electrochemical study suggested a plausible direct dual-Z-scheme charge migration mechanism based on the alignment of energy bands.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Jingjing Li, Chenpeng Guo, Lihua Li, Yongjun Gu, Kim BoK-Hee, Jinliang Huang
Summary: In this study, a Z-scheme core-shell WO3-Cu2O nanorods array was synthesized via one-step hydrothermal and electrochemical deposition method. The effects of electrodeposition time on the performance of the products were investigated. The results showed that the optimum Cu2O deposition time was 120 s. The deposited Cu2O nanoparticles enhanced the visible light absorption and inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers. The photoelectrochemical measurement also demonstrated the improved separation of photogenerated carriers. Overall, the Z-scheme WO3-Cu2O core-shell heterojunction played a crucial role in enhancing the photocatalytic activity.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Jiahe Song, Jingjing Zhang, Amir Zada, Kezhen Qi, Yuhua Ma
Summary: An efficient CoFe2O4/NiFe2O4 heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared by combining CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 nanoplates hydrothermally, which showed improved photocatalytic activity for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride antibiotic compared to the bare CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4. The optimized sample 5%-CoFe2O4/NiFe2O4 exhibited a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 76.1% for tetracycline in 60 min, attributed to extended visible light absorption and enhanced charge separation. The study confirmed that superoxide radicals and holes in the valence band of NiFe2O4 with high thermodynamic energies were responsible for the photodegradation of the target pollutant. This work highlights the importance of preparing low-cost materials for the removal of highly hazardous pollutants from water.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yanxia Li, Min Fu, Peng Lu, Xueli Hu, Ruiqi Wang, Jinwu Bai, Youzhou He
Summary: Heterojunction photocatalytic materials, with good photo-generated electron-hole pair separation efficiency, have attracted much attention in the field of pollution control. In this study, unique Z-scheme ZnS/PI photocatalyst was fabricated by in situ growth of ZnS on polyimide (PI), and it exhibited the highest degradation efficiency for tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation, attributed to the enhanced charge separation efficiency and reduced electron-hole pair recombination efficiency.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dongyu Tan, Fei Huang, Shenjia Guo, Danqin Li, Yi Yan, Wu Zhang
Summary: A series of Z-scheme heterojunction g-C3N4/Bi5O7I composites were successfully synthesized using an electrostatic self-assembly method. The optimized 15%-g-C3N4/Bi5O7I exhibited efficient degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation, attributed to the generation of photo-induced h+ and O2•- radicals. The migration of photo-induced h+ and e- between g-C3N4 and Bi5O7I was investigated, and the degradation pathways and toxicological simulation of tetracycline were evaluated. The composite also demonstrated good stability and reusability, making it a promising photocatalyst for practical applications.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuchan Li, Bin Yu, Zhenqi Hu, Hong Wang
Summary: This study successfully synthesized a highly efficient SnS2@ZnIn2S4@kaolinite (SZK) photocatalyst, which showed significant degradation capability towards tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The SZK heterostructure demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic efficiency and degradation rate under visible light illumination, with O-2(-) and O-1(2) identified as the main active species. The superior performance of SZK is attributed to the synergistic effect of its components, providing new insights for visible light photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics in wastewater treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xun Li, Yue Meng, Jinhua Li, Lianyang Zhang, Bo Xie, Zheming Ni, Shengjie Xia
Summary: In this study, direct Z-Scheme heterojunctions of MoO2@CoFe LDHs were prepared for the activation of Na2S2O8 (PS) to degrade tetracycline under visible light. The synergistic degradation efficiency of tetracycline was significantly enhanced due to the effective electron-hole separation under the Z-Scheme heterostructure. The Co(II) and Fe(II) in the system were found to synergistically activate PS and accelerate its activation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jiabao Gu, Chaogang Ban, Jiazhi Meng, Qianwen Li, Xuanyu Long, Xiaohan Zhou, Nan Liu, Zequan Li
Summary: A dual Z-scheme UNiMOF/BiVO4/S-C3N4 (NBSCN) photocatalyst with a 2D/3D/2D structure was successfully constructed in this study. NBSCN outperforms single and binary composites in photocatalytic tetracycline pho-todegradation and Cr(VI) photoreduction due to the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingru Guo, Liping Wang, Xiao Wei, Zeid A. Alothman, Munirah D. Albaqami, Victor Malgras, Yusuke Yamauchi, Yunqing Kang, Meiqi Wang, Weisheng Guan, Xingtao Xu
Summary: The construction of a Z-scheme CuInS2/Bi2MoO6 heterostructure via in-situ hydrothermal reactions resulted in superior photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of tetracycline under visible light, with 8 and 2.5 times improvements compared to their individual components. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to effective charge transfer at the interface and the ternary sulfide semiconductor absorbing light in the useful region of the solar spectrum.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xuemei Yan, Qingjie Ji, Chao Wang, Jixiang Xu, Lei Wang
Summary: Precisely engineering the morphology and regulating the hybrid interface of each component in a heterojunction are crucial for enhancing charge carrier separation. The Z-scheme heterojunction of flower-like bismuth oxycarbonate/bismuth oxybromide prepared in this study exhibited a high photocatalytic activity, attributed to the hybrid mode of BOC and BiOBr, and the Z scheme electron transfer path and oxygen vacancies present in BOC/BiOBr.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiayin Guo, Longbo Jiang, Jie Liang, Weihua Xu, Hanbo Yu, Jin Zhang, Shujing Ye, Wenle Xing, Xingzhong Yuan
Summary: Tetracycline, a widely used antibiotic, poses risks to the aquatic ecosystem. A novel ternary Z-scheme Bi12O17Cl2/Ag/AgFeO2 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. Optimal catalyst concentration and pH conditions favored the degradation process, while exogenous anions and organic matter hindered it. O-center dot(2)- played a significant role in tetracycline degradation within the Bi12O17Cl2/Ag/AgFeO2 system.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tayyab Hussain, Muhammad Talha Shabbir, Mustafa Anwar, Ali Bahadar, Sehar Shakir
Summary: Ceramic materials are widely used as photocatalysts due to their low cost, photostability, suitable bandgap and excellent photodegradation properties. However, TiO2, a common ceramic material, has low efficiency due to its limited activity in the UV region and high electron-hole recombination. To overcome these limitations, modified TiO2-based ceramic materials, such as Er2O3/TiO2, Molybdenum loaded TiO2, and TiO2/Er2O3, were synthesized. The modified materials showed improved photocatalytic activity, reduced bandgap, increased surface area, and reduced recombination of electron-hole pairs. The Mo@TiO2-Er2O3 composite exhibited the highest photodegradation efficiency under sunlight. These findings have important implications for the treatment of industrial textile dye wastewater.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chujun Feng, Ziwei Lu, Yuzhe Zhang, Qian Liang, Man Zhou, Xiazhang Li, Chao Yao, Zhongyu Li, Song Xu
Summary: A dual Z-scheme g-C3N4 QDs-CoTiO3/CoFe2O4 composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized, which significantly improved the degradation performance and stability of oxytetracycline, and exhibited magnetic controllability.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yunfei Yu, Xue Yang, Chenchen Zhang, Jie Chen, Wei Lin, Jianqiang Meng
Summary: This study reports an environmentally friendly and simple approach for preparing double-network (DN) ion gel membranes with high strength and excellent gas separation performance. By optimizing crosslinking density, mass ratio, and the type and content of free ionic liquid, the mechanical and gas separation properties of the DN membrane are improved.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Si-qi Jiang, Qiang Gao, Xi-guang Li, Chao-zhu Deng, Jun Qiu, Xiang-nan Zhu
Summary: A dual-strengthening pretreatment method is proposed to remove PVDF more efficiently and enhance the leaching of LiCoO2. Experimental results show that dual-strengthening pretreatment can effectively remove PVDF and significantly improve the leaching efficiency compared to single pretreatment methods.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zengchi Hu, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaohui Zhang, Xue Li, Jiangbin Xia
Summary: The rapid fabrication of high-performance composite membranes based on CMPs using simple and low-cost methods is challenging. In this study, three CMPs-based composite membranes were rapidly fabricated with adjustable size using unidirectional diffusion synthesis. The microstructural design enhanced the rejection rates of the membranes and they showed strong hydrolytic resistance, thermal stability, and acid-base resistance. Electrostatic adsorption and the adjustable microstructures significantly varied the repellence of the membranes to different charged molecules.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Farzaneh Rouhani, Matineh Ayedi, Nasser Safari
Summary: Introducing defects into porous metal-organic frameworks is important for improving their adsorption performance. Quasi-MOFs, an underutilized variant of large-scale, fundamentally deficient MOFs, have been found to have substantial amounts of unsaturated metal sites to offset the drawbacks of MOFs. In this study, a quasi-MOF was produced using a water-stable MOF and demonstrated significantly improved phosphate adsorption capability due to the presence of defect sites.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Valentin Reungoat, Morad Chadni, Louis M. M. Mouterde, Fanny Brunissen, Florent Allais, Helene Ducatel, Irina Ioannou
Summary: This study focuses on the recovery of sinapic acid using liquid-liquid extraction assisted by a hollow fiber membrane contactor from an aqueous feed obtained through the hydrolysis of mustard bran. The screening of solvents of different chemical nature showed that all tested solvents had an extraction efficiency of more than 80% for pH < 5. Four solvents were selected for use in the hollow fiber membrane contactor, and the volatile solvents showed higher mass transfer coefficients compared to non-volatile solvents. The extraction efficiency was intensified by increasing the initial concentration of sinapic acid and the feed-to-solvent ratio. CPME was found to have optimal recovery efficiency at a phase ratio of 8:1, yielding 0.9 g of sinapic acid per liter of CPME used.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Takahiro Sakamoto, Takafumi Hanada, Hayate Sato, Mayu Kamisono, Masahiro Goto
Summary: The emergence of the battery society has led to a high demand for battery metals, resulting in a strain on their supply. This study introduces a novel technique using a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) for leaching and recovering battery metals from low-grade nickel laterite ores. The DES enables selective leaching and recovery of the metals, offering a promising pathway for the extraction of critical battery metals.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Rongrong He, Jiarui Chen, Chunyao Zhang, Dan Lu, Lin Zhang, Tao He
Summary: Researcher has developed a method to quantify the charge density in nanofiltration (NF) membrane separation layer and applied it in NF membranes that can separate Mg2+ and Li+. The results showed that overcompensated amine groups played a major role, and there was a linear relationship between charge density and coating bi-layers or PAH layers.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhijian Zhang, Min Chen, Zhe Lin, Zhichao Yang, Yafeng Du, Zhihui Chen, Zhenhao Yang, Kongyin Zhao, Ligang Lin
Summary: Membrane technology plays an important role in molecular/ion separation processes, but faces challenges such as membrane fouling. This study introduces a new ion-crosslinking method to fabricate copper alginate hydrogel membranes with improved mechanical strength and antimicrobial capabilities. The membranes exhibit excellent separation performance and enhanced long-term molecule/ion separation through improved anti-swelling properties. Molecular dynamics simulations and life cycle analysis highlight the pore structure and environmental friendliness of the hydrogel membranes. These findings provide valuable insights for developing sustainable hydrogel membranes with stable performance and high separation efficiency.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dongmei Liu, Aiying Guo, Yanling Qi, Zhixin Ji, Hongjuan Li, Zhiwei Zhang, Xinyue Zhang, Kunze Wu, Aijun Cai
Summary: In this study, a stable magnetic Mg/Mn-layered double oxide-doped biochar composite (MgMnLDO-MBC) was prepared and successfully used for the removal of antibiotics and bacteria from wastewater. The composite exhibited enhanced surface areas, adsorption sites, and free radicals, leading to improved catalytic activity. The effects of different factors on the removal efficiency were evaluated, and the composite showed good reusability.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Feng Wang, Zhaoyong Bian, Yaru Zhang, Wenchao Yu, Qiang Zhang, Hui Wang
Summary: In this study, a nanofibrous layered structure of Ff-Ti3C2Tx-Co3O4 was prepared by self-assembling nanofibrous Co3O4 with lamellar fluorine-free MXene (Ff-Ti3C2Tx). The Ff-Ti3C2Tx-Co3O4 exhibited excellent catalytic activity for degradation, resistant to ionic interference, and maintained high removal efficiency of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in municipal wastewater. The rapid SMX degradation involved fast electron transfer in redox cycles with PMS and the generation of 1O2 via PMS ->center dot O2 -> 1O2. This work provides new insights into antibiotic degradation mechanisms and electron transfer based on PMS activation.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Weipeng He, Jiacheng Luo, Yujie Wu, Tianhao Luo, Chen Tang
Summary: This study comparatively evaluated the role of cationic, anionic, and nonionic polyacrylamides (PAMs) in ballasted flocculation of clay suspensions under different aluminum sulfate (AS) coagulant dosages. The selection of PAMs and AS dosage had a significant influence on the size and shear resistance of ballasted floc aggregates.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lixian Wang, Lizhi Zhao, Didi Si, Zhixin Li, Huiqin An, Hui Ye, Qingping Xin, Hong Li, Yuzhong Zhang
Summary: Metalloporphyrin-based nanozymes integrated with poly (vinylidene fluoride) membrane show high catalytic activity and reusability for the decolorization of Congo Red dye in continuous flow process.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yongfei Ma, Chenyu Zeng, Yongzhen Ding, Jiayi Tang, Ondrej Masek, Zhikang Deng, Rui Mu, Zulin Zhang
Summary: In this study, sludge-derived biochar (SBC) was functionalized with various iron salts to enhance its adsorption ability for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and magnetic collection performance. Ball milling was further employed to treat the optimal iron salt functionalized SBC (MSBC), resulting in ball milled SBC (BMSBC) with improved adsorption performance for SMX. The dominant driving mechanism for SMX adsorption onto BMSBC was confirmed to be multiple physicochemical forces, including 7C-7C conjugation, pore filling, H-bonding, Fe-O complexation, and electrostatic interactions. BMSBC exhibited favorable adsorption ability for SMX in actual waters and could be easily collected within 1 min due to its magnetic sensitivity.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jinglin Tan, Xiaohui Mao, Wenjihao Hu, Hongbo Zeng
Summary: This study investigates the influence of PDMS chain architectures on surface properties and reveals that PDMS coatings with looped structures exhibit superior hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, and water sliding compared to coatings with linear structures. Additionally, both looped and linear PDMS coated stainless steel mesh/polyester fibers show efficient separation of oil/water mixture.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wei-Liang Chen, Chih-Chia Cheng, Chien-Hsing Lu, Jem-Kun Chen
Summary: This study designs a novel sandwich-structured capacitor that reduces the absorption time of pollutants using dielectrophoresis force. By coating graphene oxide on polystyrene microspheres as adsorbents and encapsulating them within the capacitor, the adsorption rate is significantly enhanced. Additionally, frequency manipulation allows for the recycling of adsorbents and concentration of dyes, minimizing secondary pollution.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)