Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2018) | Viewed by 36079

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Department of Applied Science and Technology and PoliTO BiomED Interdepartmental Lab, Politecnico di Torino, INSTM Unit of Torino—Politecnico, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: surface properties of materials; nanoporous materials; TiO2 modification; photocatalysis; emerging pollutants’ removal; IR spectroscopy; CO2 reduction
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Department of Drug Science and Technology, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy
Interests: surface properties and surface reactivity of polycrystalline solids of catalytic interest; supported noble metal nanoparticles; biomass conversion to value-added chemicals; microwave-assisted processes; ultrasound-assisted processes; selective hydrogenation; FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies; gas volumetric measurements; X-ray diffraction; high-resolution transmission electron microscopy
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Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Interests: synthesis and characterization of heterostructured nanocrystals

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Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Latium, Via G. Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy
Interests: sol–gel synthesis; porous materials; surface chemistry; oxide-based catalysts; metal-ceramic nanomaterials; zeolite precursors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Issue is devoted to papers concerning the synthesis, the physico-chemical properties and the performance of photo-catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. Research papers, reviews and perspectives dealing with the photo-catalytic degradation of most common organic pollutants (dyes, pesticides, herbicides, etc.) are welcome, as well as papers dealing with the removal of emerging ones, like drugs and their metabolites. Authors are encouraged to enlighten several aspects, including the synthesis of novel photocatalysts (hybrid materials, quantum dots, colloidal nanoparticles, doped mesostructured materials, etc..), the optimization of processes utilizing state-of-art photocatalysts and the influence of the physico-chemical properties of the photocatalyst on its final performance. Since one of the main issues related to the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants is their actual mineralization as well as the formation of by-products that can be per se harmful, a number of papers dealing with the correct determination of mineralization as with the detection of such by-products is expected.

Prof. Dr. Barbara Bonelli
Dr. Maela Manzoli
Dr. Francesca S. Freyria
Dr. Serena Esposito
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Novel synthesis of photocatalysts
  • Water remediation
  • Organic pollutants degradation
  • Harmful by-products
  • Advanced Oxidation processes
  • Physico-chemical properties of photocatalysts
  • Fenton, Fenton-like and photo-Fenton processes
  • Scale-up of photocatalytic processes
  • Detection of degradation products
  • Mineralization/Decoloration

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 157 KiB  
Editorial
Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation
by Barbara Bonelli, Maela Manzoli, Francesca S. Freyria and Serena Esposito
Catalysts 2019, 9(10), 870; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9100870 - 21 Oct 2019
Viewed by 1993
Abstract
Organics degradation is one of the challenges of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), which are mainly employed for the removal of water and air pollutants [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)

Research

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20 pages, 3233 KiB  
Article
Effective Photocatalytic Activity of Mixed Ni/Fe-Base Metal-Organic Framework under a Compact Fluorescent Daylight Lamp
by Vinh Huu Nguyen, Trinh Duy Nguyen, Long Giang Bach, Thai Hoang, Quynh Thi Phuong Bui, Lam Dai Tran, Chuong V. Nguyen, Dai-Viet N. Vo and Sy Trung Do
Catalysts 2018, 8(11), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8110487 - 23 Oct 2018
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 9569
Abstract
Mixed Ni/Fe-base metal-organic framework (Ni/Fe-MOF) with different molar ratios of Ni2+/Fe3+ have been successfully produced using an appropriate solvothermal router. Physicochemical properties of all samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM), fourier-transform infrared [...] Read more.
Mixed Ni/Fe-base metal-organic framework (Ni/Fe-MOF) with different molar ratios of Ni2+/Fe3+ have been successfully produced using an appropriate solvothermal router. Physicochemical properties of all samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS), and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic degradation performances of the photocatalysts were evaluated in the decomposition of rhodamine B (RhB) under a compact fluorescent daylight lamp. From XRD, IR, XPS, and Raman results, with the presence of mixed ion Fe3+ and Ni2+, MIL-88B (MIL standing for Materials of Institut Lavoisier) crystals based on the mixed metal Fe2NiO cluster were formed, while MIL-53(Fe) was formed with the presence of single ion Fe3+. From UV-Vis DRS results, Ni/Fe-MOF samples exhibited the absorption spectrum up to the visible region, and then they showed the high photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. A Ni/Fe-MOF sample with a Ni2+/Fe3+ molar ratio of 0.3 showed the highest photocatalytic degradation capacity of RhB, superior to that of the MIL-53(Fe) sample. The obtained result could be explained as a consequence of the large surface area with large pore volumes and pore size by the Ni2+ incorporating into the MOF’s structure. In addition, a mixed metal Fe/Ni-based framework consisted of mixed-metal cluster Fe2NiO with an electron transfer effect and may enhance the photocatalytic performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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10 pages, 5750 KiB  
Article
Photocatalytic Behavior of Strontium Aluminates Co-Doped with Europium and Dysprosium Synthesized by Hydrothermal Reaction in Degradation of Methylene Blue
by Byung-Geon Park
Catalysts 2018, 8(6), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8060227 - 28 May 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3928
Abstract
Strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium were prepared by a hydrothermal reaction through a sintering process at lower temperatures. The physicochemical properties of the strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium were characterized and compared with those of strontium aluminates prepared by [...] Read more.
Strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium were prepared by a hydrothermal reaction through a sintering process at lower temperatures. The physicochemical properties of the strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium were characterized and compared with those of strontium aluminates prepared by a sol–gel method. The photocatalytic properties of the strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium were evaluated through the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue dye. The strontium aluminates co-doped with europium and dysprosium prepared by the hydrothermal reaction exhibited good phosphorescence and photocatalytic activities that were similar to those prepared by the sol–gel method. The photocatalytic activity of these catalysts for methylene blue degradation was higher than that of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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16 pages, 9094 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of a Z-Scheme g-C3N4/Fe-TiO2 Photocatalytic Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light Irradiation
by Zedong Zhu, Muthu Murugananthan, Jie Gu and Yanrong Zhang
Catalysts 2018, 8(3), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8030112 - 13 Mar 2018
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 5863
Abstract
In the present study, a nanocomposite material g-C3N4/Fe-TiO2 has been prepared successfully by a simple one-step hydrothermal process and its structural properties were thoroughly studied by various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) [...] Read more.
In the present study, a nanocomposite material g-C3N4/Fe-TiO2 has been prepared successfully by a simple one-step hydrothermal process and its structural properties were thoroughly studied by various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry (UV-vis DRS). The performance of the fabricated composite material towards the removal of phenol from aqueous phase was systematically evaluated by a photocatalytic approach and found to be highly dependent on the content of Fe3+. The optimum concentration of Fe3+ doping that showed a dramatic enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of the composite under visible light irradiation was observed to be 0.05% by weight. The separation mechanism of photogenerated electrons and holes of the g-C3N4/Fe-TiO2 photocatalysts was established by a photoluminescence technique in which the reactive species generated during the photocatalytic treatment process was quantified. The enhanced photocatalytic performance observed for g-C3N4-Fe/TiO2 was ascribed to a cumulative impact of both g-C3N4 and Fe that extended its spectrum-absorptive nature into the visible region. The heterojunction formation in the fabricated photocatalysts not only facilitated the separation of the photogenerated charge carriers but also retained its strong oxidation and reduction ability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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13 pages, 4013 KiB  
Article
Highly Efficient and Visible Light Responsive Heterojunction Composites as Dual Photoelectrodes for Photocatalytic Fuel Cell
by Honghui Pan, Wenjuan Liao, Na Sun, Muthu Murugananthan and Yanrong Zhang
Catalysts 2018, 8(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8010030 - 18 Jan 2018
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5050
Abstract
In the present work, a novel photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system involving a dual heterojunction photoelectrodes, viz. polyaniline/TiO2 nanotubes (PANI/TiO2 NTs) photoanode and CuO/Co3O4 nanorods (CuO/Co3O4 NRs) photocathode, has been designed. Compared to TiO2 [...] Read more.
In the present work, a novel photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system involving a dual heterojunction photoelectrodes, viz. polyaniline/TiO2 nanotubes (PANI/TiO2 NTs) photoanode and CuO/Co3O4 nanorods (CuO/Co3O4 NRs) photocathode, has been designed. Compared to TiO2 NTs electrode of PFC, the present heterojunction design not only enhances the visible light absorption but also offers the higher efficiency in degrading Rhodamine B–a model organic pollutant. The study includes an evaluation of the dual performance of the photoelectrodes as well. Under visible-light irradiation of 3 mW cm−2, the cell composed of the photoanode PANI/TiO2 NTs and CuO/Co3O4 NRs photocathode forms an interior bias of +0.24 V within the PFC system. This interior bias facilitated the transfer of electrons from the photoanode to photocathode across the external circuit and combined with the holes generated therein along with a simultaneous power production. In this manner, the separation of electron/hole pair was achieved in the photoelectrodes by releasing the holes and electrons of PANI/TiO2 NTs photoanode and CuO/Co3O4 NRs photocathode, respectively. Using this PFC system, the degradation of Rhodamine B in aqueous media was achieved to an extent of 68.5% within a reaction duration of a four-hour period besides a simultaneous power generation of 85 μA cm−2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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2832 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature Sol-Gel Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Anatase/Brookite Biphasic Nanoparticles with High Surface Area and Visible-Light Performance
by Liang Jiang, Yizhou Li, Haiyan Yang, Yepeng Yang, Jun Liu, Zhiying Yan, Xiang Long, Jiao He and Jiaqiang Wang
Catalysts 2017, 7(12), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal7120376 - 4 Dec 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4225
Abstract
Nitrogen doping in combination with the brookite phase or a mixture of TiO2 polymorphs nanomaterials can enhance photocatalytic activity under visible light. Generally, nitrogen-dopedanatase/brookite mixed phases TiO2 nanoparticles obtained by hydrothermal or solvothermal method need to be at high temperature and [...] Read more.
Nitrogen doping in combination with the brookite phase or a mixture of TiO2 polymorphs nanomaterials can enhance photocatalytic activity under visible light. Generally, nitrogen-dopedanatase/brookite mixed phases TiO2 nanoparticles obtained by hydrothermal or solvothermal method need to be at high temperature and with long time heating treatment. Furthermore, the surface areas of them are low (<125 m2/g). There is hardly a report on the simple and direct preparation of N-doped anatase/brookite mixed phase TiO2 nanostructures using sol-gel method at low heating temperature. In this paper, the nitrogen-doped anatase/brookite biphasic nanoparticles with large surface area (240 m2/g) were successfully prepared using sol-gel method at low temperature (165 °C), and with short heating time (4 h) under autogenous pressure. The obtained sample without subsequent annealing at elevated temperatures showed enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) with 4.2-, 9.6-, and 7.5-fold visible light activities compared to P25 and the amorphous samples heated in muffle furnace with air or in tube furnace with a flow of nitrogen at 165 °C, respectively. This result was attributed to the synergistic effects of nitrogen doping, mixed crystalline phases, and high surface area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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7763 KiB  
Article
Saturated Resin Ectopic Regeneration by Non-Thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma
by Chunjing Hao, Zehua Xiao, Di Xu, Chengbo Zhang, Jian Qiu and Kefu Liu
Catalysts 2017, 7(12), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal7120362 - 27 Nov 2017
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4197
Abstract
Textile dyes are some of the most refractory organic compounds in the environment due to their complex and various structure. An integrated resin adsorption/Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma regeneration was proposed to treat the indigo carmine solution. It is the first time to [...] Read more.
Textile dyes are some of the most refractory organic compounds in the environment due to their complex and various structure. An integrated resin adsorption/Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma regeneration was proposed to treat the indigo carmine solution. It is the first time to report ectopic regeneration of the saturated resins by non-thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge. The adsorption/desorption efficiency, surface functional groups, structural properties, regeneration efficiency, and the intermediate products between gas and liquid phase before and after treatment were investigated. The results showed that DBD plasma could maintain the efficient adsorption performance of resins while degrading the indigo carmine adsorbed by resins. The degradation rate of indigo carmine reached 88% and the regeneration efficiency (RE) can be maintained above 85% after multi-successive regeneration cycles. The indigo carmine contaminants were decomposed by a variety of reactive radicals leading to fracture of exocyclic C=C bond, which could cause decoloration of dye solution. Based on above results, a possible degradation pathway for the indigo carmine by resin adsorption/DBD plasma treatment was proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Organics Degradation)
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