Article
Environmental Sciences
Qian Zhang, Yong-bo Yu, Jun-ming Hong
Summary: Graphene, especially P/N-codoped graphene (PN-GN), shows promising performance in electrocatalytic oxidation for the treatment of refractory organic pollutants.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Cheng Yang, Stephen Maldonado, Corey R. J. Stephenson
Summary: Electrocatalytic processes in organic chemistry have garnered renewed interest, particularly as an alternative to conventional synthetic methods when coupled with renewable feedstocks. The development of selective degradation methods for lignin is crucial for synthesizing simpler aromatic hydrocarbons from the largest natural source of aromatic rings.
Article
Electrochemistry
Sha Yu, Chentao Hao, Zonglu Li, Ruirui Zhang, Yuan Dang, Jun-Jie Zhu
Summary: The study successfully prepared a novel PbO2/Y2O3 nano-composite anode with a hybrid interface, leading to improved electrocatalytic oxidation efficiency of malachite green. The electrocatalytic degradation mechanism and mineralization pathway of malachite green on the PbO2/Y2O3 anode were discussed in detail, providing valuable insights for future material science and environmental governance.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lakshmi Pisharody, Ashitha Gopinath, Milan Malhotra, P. Nidheesh, M. Suresh Kumar
Summary: Landfilling is a common method for managing municipal solid waste globally, but leachate generation poses environmental issues. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) show potential in removing micropollutants from landfill leachate, but further research is needed for better understanding.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ruiyang Xiao, Yunxiang Meng, Yifu Fu, Stanislaw Waclawek, Zongsu Wei, Richard Spinney, Dionysios D. Dionysiou, Weizhi Zeng, Wei-Ping Hu
Summary: This study investigated the CO3·-mediated oxidation of the frequently detected micropollutant ibuprofen. The results showed that the H atom abstraction pathway dominated the degradation process, regardless of the protonation state. Calculation of the reaction rate constant considering explicit solvent molecules yielded a value in agreement with the measured one. Significant charge transfer was observed from the CO3 center to the solvation shells. The study also constructed a contour plot demonstrating the contribution of CO3·- to the elimination of various micropollutants, highlighting the importance of CO3·- in sunlit surface waters.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fan Zhang, Zhi Huang, Yan-Ying Liu, Qian Zhang, Chang-Tang Chang
Summary: S-modified MXene was prepared to improve the catalytic activity of MXene in the electrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride. The S modification promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species and active chlorine, accelerating the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jesse H. Hsu, Tyler E. Ball, Sewon Oh, Erin E. Stache, Brett P. Fors
Summary: This study demonstrates a method to degrade polymers using electrochemistry, and investigates the selectivity and efficiency of the process. Electrocatalytic degradation of polymers with activated C-H bonds is achieved through oxidative polymer degradation promoted by molecular oxygen and electrochemically mediated hydrogen atom transfer (HAT).
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tao Yang, Jiamin Mai, Haijun Cheng, Mengyang Zhu, Sisi Wu, Liuyan Tang, Ping Liang, Jianbo Jia, Jun Ma
Summary: This study investigated the use of UVA-LED in combination with Fe(VI) for degrading micropollutants, showing significant enhancement compared to Fe(VI) alone. Factors such as wavelength, light intensity, and pH were found to influence the degradation performance.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haiyang Liu, Yihan Lv, Ya-nan Zhang, Yushu Zhang, Jiao Qu, Deming Dong, Zhaojun Wang, Xiuyi Hua
Summary: This study efficiently eliminated chloramphenicol using CNTs/AG/ITO electrodes, achieving a maximum degradation efficiency of 88%. The electrocatalytic degradation pathway and mechanism were investigated, along with the toxicity of identified intermediates. It was confirmed that the degradation system had hybrid toxicity, highlighting the importance of pathway and toxicity assessment in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Seema Singh, Ritesh Patidar, Vimal Chandra Srivastava, Shang-Lien Lo, P. V. Nidheesh
Summary: This review presents the recent advancements in the electrochemical oxidation (EO) treatment of dyes, including the basic principles, the influence of operating parameters on treatment performance, the advantages and disadvantages of various anode materials, and the degradation mechanisms of dyes. The article also discusses the scale-up application, techno-economic issues, and future research challenges.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Virender K. Sharma, Xingmao Ma, Radek Zboril
Summary: Water is a crucial component of the United Nations' sustainable development goals, and water reuse is becoming increasingly accepted in response to global water scarcity. However, traditional treatment processes face challenges in treating low concentrations of pollutants in the presence of other chemicals. Advanced oxidation processes and the use of single atom catalysts offer promising solutions to these challenges.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Guohua Dong, Kun Lang, Dong-Feng Chai, Wenzhi Zhang, Ming Zhao, Lili Sui, Jialong Zhong, Xinyu Jin, Yitong Fan
Summary: The Ti/CoTiO3-TiO2 catalyst electrode prepared through a one-step impregnation pyrolysis method showed higher oxygen evolution potential, lower resistance, higher electrochemical active surface area, and longer lifetime. It exhibited significantly higher degradation efficiency for various dyes compared to Ti/TiO2, along with superior stability and reusability. The electrocatalytic performance enhancement of Ti/CoTiO3-TiO2 is attributed to its higher electrochemical activity and the generation of numerous ·OH and O-2(-) radicals on the anode surface as the primary active species for dyes degradation.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhaozhi Zheng, Ana Deletic, Cui Ying Toe, Rose Amal, Xiwang Zhang, Russell Pickford, Shujie Zhou, Kefeng Zhang
Summary: This study explored the potential and application of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in urban stormwater treatment. It was found that photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) and electrochemical oxidation (ECO) showed good removal performance for diuron, with superoxide radical being the dominant reactive species. Additionally, hydroxyl radical and free chlorine also supported the degradation reactions. The proposed degradation pathways identified several intermediate products. PECO demonstrated higher oxidation capacity compared to ECO and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), which resulted in more complete decomposition of stormwater herbicides.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Zhengdi Wang, Liyang Fu, Yu Zhu, Sa Wang, Guohong Shen, Lan Jin, Ruizheng Liang
Summary: This study designed Ce-doped Cu-Al layered double hydroxide (CAC-LDH) nanosheets loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) as a Fenton-catalyst and photothermal agent for synergistic chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) in cancer treatment. The results demonstrated the potential of ICG/CAC-LDH as an integrated agent for dual-modal imaging and synergistic CDT/PTT.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhenhua Li, Xiaofan Li, Hua Zhou, Yan Xu, Si-Min Xu, Yue Ren, Yifan Yan, Jiangrong Yang, Kaiyue Ji, Li Li, Ming Xu, Mingfei Shao, Xianggui Kong, Xiaoming Sun, Haohong Duan
Summary: In this study, surfactant-modified nickel hydroxide catalyst was used for electrosynthesis of adipic acid and hydrogen gas. The strategy achieved higher productivity of adipic acid and higher faradaic efficiency compared to pure nickel hydroxide catalyst in aqueous medium, by facilitating enrichment of immiscible cyclohexanone.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xinxin Meng, Zhun Liu, Xubin Qian, Shaoyu Tang, Cheng Fang, Junfeng Niu, Lei Xu
Summary: The effect of low-frequency ultrasound on the degradation of anticancer drug irinotecan using reactive electrochemical membrane was investigated. Higher degradation efficiency, mineralization efficiency, and lower energy consumption were observed in the ultrasound-assisted system. The enhanced degradation and mineralization can be attributed to the increased production of free radicals.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linke Ge, Shengkai Cao, Crispin Halsall, Junfeng Niu, Dongxiao Bai, Guangkai He, Peng Zhang, Hongrui Ma
Summary: This study provides a detailed comparison of the photodegradation behavior of organic pollutants in ice and water, highlighting the faster photodegradation rate in ice due to specific concentration effects caused by freezing. The presence of dissolved constituents in ice also influences the photodegradation kinetics.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Cong Liu, Shuo Sun, Mingchuan Yu, Yufei Zhou, Xiaoxia Zhang, Junfeng Niu
Summary: A p-n/Z-scheme dual heterojunction photocatalyst (BFC) was designed and prepared by introducing black phosphorus nanosheets and FeSe2 into porous g-C3N4 to improve its photocatalytic activity. BFC achieved 100% TBBPA degradation efficiency in 40 min and 22.6% debromination efficiency in 60 min under visible light irradiation.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaojing Wang, Duxiong Chen, Yufei Zhou, Mingchuan Yu, Junfeng Niu
Summary: The potential risks of continuous release of anti-cancer drugs like capecitabine have gained significant attention. Understanding the removal performance and protective mechanism against emerging contaminants is crucial for wastewater treatment using anammox techniques. Capecitabine had a slight effect on nitrogen removal performance in activity experiments. Through bio-adsorption and biodegradation, up to 64-70% of capecitabine can be effectively removed. However, a concentration of 10 mg/L significantly decreased the removal efficiency of capecitabine and total nitrogen in repeated load scenarios. Metabolomic and metagenomic analyses provided insights into the biodegradation pathway and protective mechanisms of the system, including the increased presence of heterotrophic bacteria and secretion of sialic acid.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Heshan Zheng, Yitong Ji, Shuo Li, Wei Li, Junfeng Niu
Summary: Studying the ecological risks of antibiotics and their degradation products is important for water environment security and AOPs development. This study found that tetracycline (TC) exhibited differential degradation pathways and resulted in differential growth inhibition trends on determined strains under different free radicals. Microcosm experiments combined with metagenomics revealed significant changes in the microbial community and TC resistance genes in water environment. Additionally, the study investigated the richness of genes related to oxidative stress and their effect on reactive oxygen species production and SOS response caused by TC and its intermediates.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunlong Luo, Ashkan Khoshyan, Md Al Amin, Annette Nolan, Fiona Robinson, Jim Fenstermacher, Junfeng Niu, Mallavarapu Megharaj, Ravi Naidu, Cheng Fang
Summary: In this study, a hybrid system combining electrochemical treatment with ultrasound irradiation is proposed for enhanced degradation of PFAS. The electrochemical process using a titanium suboxide anode effectively removes PFOA, and when combined with ultrasound irradiation, achieves 100% PFOA removal and 63.5% defluorination, indicating synergistic removal/oxidation effects.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Correction
Engineering, Environmental
Qiongfang Zhuo, Jincheng Lu, Junfeng Niu, John C. Crittenden, Gang Yu, Shoushan Wang, Bo Yang, Zefang Chen
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaixuan Wang, Peike Cao, Xin Qin, Shuo Chen, Hongtao Yu, Xie Quan
Summary: This study reports a scalable preparation method of modified carbon catalysts for high-efficiency electro-Fenton (EF) by directly calcinating commercial carbonaceous materials in air. The EF with modified carbon cathode shows higher kinetics and wider pH range compared to homogeneous Fenton for levofloxacin removal using less Fe dosage. The EF system can reduce COD of coking wastewater and consume low electricity, demonstrating the scalability and promising potential of achieving low-cost advanced wastewater treatment.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cheng Fang, Saianand Gopalan, Xian Zhang, Lei Xu, Junfeng Niu, Ravi Naidu
Summary: This study examines the release of microplastics from toothbrushes using Raman imaging technique and algorithms. It confirms the release of microplastics in daily lives and provides an imaging analysis approach to identify the chemical elements of microplastics.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaojing Wang, Yu Zou, Yameng Wang, Junfeng Niu, Haibo Li
Summary: This study demonstrates that the addition of 4-chlorophenol significantly inhibits the ammonia-nitrogen removal efficiency and the activity of anammox process at different concentrations. Metagenomic analysis reveals a decrease in the abundance of KEGG pathways associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism with increasing 4-chlorophenol concentration. The presence of 4-chlorophenol enhances the decomposition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and bacterial debris, and partially converts 4-chlorophenol to p-nitrophenol.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yuchen Guo, Zhongyu Guo, Tingting Wang, Lilan Zhang, Pengfei Yu, Wenwen Gu, Jieqiong Wang, Shaoxia Yang, Kaiwen Yao, Junfeng Niu
Summary: The photo-degradation of propranolol (PRO) was found to be faster in Pearl river water and dissolved organic matter (DOM) solutions compared to pure water. The reaction rate constants of DOM with PRO were determined to be (4.32 × 10^8 M^−1 s^−1) to (6.38 × 10^8 M^−1 s^−1). The degradation products were found to have decreased ecotoxicity compared to PRO.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kaihang Zhang, Yuanzheng Zhang, Su Liu, Xin Tong, Junfeng Niu, Dong Wang, Junchen Yan, Zhaoyang Xiong, John Crittenden
Summary: In this study, a MnOx-TiO2 NTAs anode was prepared by compositing narrow bandgap manganese oxide (MnOx) with TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTAs). Electrochemical characterizations revealed that increasing the composited concentration of MnOx improved the conductivity and reduced the oxygen evolution potential, thus enhancing the electrochemical activity of the MnOx-TiO2 NTAs anode. Moreover, the optimal degradation rate of benzoic acid (BA) was achieved by adjusting the MnOx concentration and degradation voltage. These quantitative results are of great significance for the design and application of high-performance materials for electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs).
GREEN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yunlong Luo, Olalekan Awoyemi, Siyuan Liu, Junfeng Niu, Ravi Naidu, Cheng Fang
Summary: This study investigates the release of microplastic particles from ruptured air balloons using Raman imaging. It is found that each balloon explosion can potentially release tens-to-thousands of microplastics. The recommendation of using terrain mapping to scan the sample surface to avoid misleading images is also provided.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Cheng Fang, Olalekan Simon Awoyemi, Gopalan Saianand, Lei Xu, Junfeng Niu, Ravi Naidu
Summary: This study successfully identified and visualized microplastic fibers in indoor air using Raman imaging technology, providing statistical information. Air filters can serve as good indicators to monitor microplastic contamination in indoor air quality.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jihan Zhang, Kun Zhao, Yueming Ma, Weirui Chen, Xinglei Shi, Chenghua Sun, Qianyu Zhang, Junfeng Niu
Summary: This study reports a single-atom bismuth loaded catalyst that enhances the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity of formic acid synthesis from CO2 reduction. The obtained catalyst exhibits significantly boosted production rate and Faradaic efficiency compared to other catalysts reported in the literature, owing to the electronic structure modulation to the bismuth center via threefold coordinated nitrogen ligands.
