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Sustainable Nanocomposites and Technologies for Water Treatment

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 4372

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, Korea
Interests: graphene; magnetic nanocomposites; bioadsorbent; polymer based materials; adsorption

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, 01897, Korea
Interests: carbon based material; carbon dots; functional nanomaterials; water remediation; colorimetric sensors; biocomposites; extraction; analytical chemistry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of new materials able to enhance the efficiency of industrial wastewater treatment processes, as well as the modulation of these materials’ properties to improve the recovery of pollutants, has experienced steady progress. Anthropogenic activities such as mining, industry, and electricity production generate secondary effluents containing various contaminants, such as heavy metals and radionuclides. In view of their potential impact on water quality, the design of novel technologies aiming at recovering those contaminants is of high concern. Among the various techniques used in water pollution control, adsorption is considered to one of the most relevant because of its simple design, universal nature, high effectiveness, and ease of operation and regeneration. For this Special Issue, we invite papers presenting research findings on the development of innovative materials for the removal of the soluble forms of heavy metals and radionuclides. Beyond the scientific novelty of the suggested materials, authors should emphasize the potential of implementing their technology in full-scale facilities operating under realistic conditions of liquid effluent treatment. Both laboratory and pilot-scale experimental works will be considered. This Special Issue will welcome papers coming from different fields of research, including material science, chemical engineering and processing, chemistry, and biochemistry in particular.

This SI is devoted to the development of new materials (bulk, composites, and hybrids) through the improvement/transformation of specific processes for wastewater treatment. Among the topics of interest, specific attention will be given to papers related to:

  • Development of innovative processes for the synthesis of lamellar clay-like compounds, zeolites, hydrotalcites, etc., by tuning synthesis conditions in order to obtain the best adsorption properties;
  • Formulation of innovative composite materials for application in liquid-phase adsorption processes;
  • Elaboration of bio-sourced materials from different biomasses or carbon materials (biochars, hydrochars, chars, activated carbons) for the specific removal of heavy metals or radionuclides;
  • Use of microorganisms to support the removal of heavy metals;
  • Development of new, highly selective polymers or surfactants.

Selected papers should describe strategies adopted to develop new materials for process optimization, strategies for their implementation, and how they contribute to the overall process. In this context, and according to the topics listed above, authors are encouraged to provide a complete description of the mass and heat transfers in materials, a detailed characterization of their physico-chemical properties, and the mechanisms at the origin of adsorption/complexation (kinetic or thermodynamic approach).

Dr. Lakshmi Prasanna Lingamdinne
Dr. Janardhan Reddy Koduru
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanocomposites
  • modification of inorganic and organic nanoparticles
  • metal-organic frames
  • removal of water pollutants
  • photocatalysis systems
  • technologies for water treatment
  • mathematical modeling studies
  • biomaterials
  • biomass-based materials
  • graphene
  • carbon-based material
  • hybrid composites
  • polymer-based composites

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 8788 KiB  
Article
Revolutionizing the Role of Solar Light Responsive BiVO4/BiOBr Heterojunction Photocatalyst for the Photocatalytic Deterioration of Tetracycline and Photoelectrocatalytic Water Splitting
by Shelly Singla, Pooja Devi and Soumen Basu
Materials 2023, 16(16), 5661; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165661 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1042
Abstract
In this study, a series of BiVO4/BiOBr composites with varying mole ratios were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The in-situ synthesis strategy facilitated the formation of a close interfacial contact between BiVO4 and BiOBr at the depletion zone, resulting [...] Read more.
In this study, a series of BiVO4/BiOBr composites with varying mole ratios were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The in-situ synthesis strategy facilitated the formation of a close interfacial contact between BiVO4 and BiOBr at the depletion zone, resulting in improved charge segregation, migration, reduced charge recombination, enhanced solar light absorption capacity, promoting narrow band gap, and large surface area. This study investigates the influence of different mole ratios of BiVO4 and BiOBr in a BiVO4/BiOBr nanocomposite on the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC), a pharmaceutical pollutant, and photoelectrocatalytic water splitting (PEC) under solar light irradiation. Maximum decomposition efficiency of ~90.4% (with a rate constant of 0.0159 min−1) for TC was achieved with 0.5 g/L of 3:1 BiVO4: BiOBr (31BVBI) photocatalyst within 140 min. The degraded compounds resulting from the TC abatement were analyzed using GC-MS. Furthermore, TC standards exhibited 78.2% and 87.7% removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC), respectively, while TC tablets showed 64.6% COD removal and 73.8% TOC removal. The PEC water splitting experiments demonstrated that the 31BVBI photoanode achieved the highest photocurrent density of approximately 0.2198 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE, resulting in the generation of approximately 1.864 mmolcm−2 s−1 of hydrogen, while remaining stable for 21,600 s. The stability of the photocatalyst was confirmed by post-degradation characterizations, which revealed intact crystalline planes, shape, and surface area. Comparisons with existing physicochemical methods used in industries indicate that the reported photocatalyst possesses strong surface catalytic properties and has the potential for application in industrial wastewater treatment and hydrogen generation, offering an advantageous alternative to costly and time-consuming processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Nanocomposites and Technologies for Water Treatment)
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18 pages, 3100 KiB  
Article
Preparation, Characterization, and Chemically Modified Date Palm Fiber Waste Biomass for Enhanced Phenol Removal from an Aqueous Environment
by Nadavala Siva Kumar, Mohammad Asif, Anesh Manjaly Poulose, Ebrahim H. Al-Ghurabi, Shaddad S. Alhamedi and Janardhan Reddy Koduru
Materials 2023, 16(11), 4057; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16114057 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1485
Abstract
The date palm tree is extensively cultivated in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, generating a large amount of waste in the form of leaves, seeds, and fibrous materials. This study examined the feasibility of using raw date palm fiber (RDPF) and [...] Read more.
The date palm tree is extensively cultivated in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, generating a large amount of waste in the form of leaves, seeds, and fibrous materials. This study examined the feasibility of using raw date palm fiber (RDPF) and NaOH chemically modified date palm fiber (NaOH–CMDPF) obtained from discarded agricultural waste for the removal of phenol in an aqueous environment. The adsorbent characterization was performed by using different techniques, i.e., particle size analysis; elemental analyzer (CHN); and BET, FTIR, and FESEM-EDX analysis. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of various functional groups on the surface of the RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF. The results showed that chemical modification by NaOH increased the phenol adsorption capacity that was well-fitted by the Langmuir isotherm. Higher removal was obtained with NaOH–CMDPF (86%) than with the RDPF (81%). The RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF sorbents’ maximum (Qm) adsorption capacities were more than 45.62 mg/g and 89.67 mg/g and were comparable to the sorption capacities of various other types of agricultural waste biomass reported in the literature. The kinetic studies confirmed that the adsorption of phenol followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic process. The present study concluded that the RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF were eco-friendly and cost-effective in promoting sustainable management and the reuse of the Kingdom’s lignocellulosic fiber waste material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Nanocomposites and Technologies for Water Treatment)
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16 pages, 8254 KiB  
Article
Mangiferin-Enriched Mn–Hydroxyapatite Coupled with β-TCP Scaffolds Simultaneously Exhibit Osteogenicity and Anti-Bacterial Efficacy
by Subhasmita Swain, Janardhan Reddy Koduru and Tapash Ranjan Rautray
Materials 2023, 16(6), 2206; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062206 - 9 Mar 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1340
Abstract
Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) containing β-tricalcium phosphate and manganese (Mn)-substituted hydroxyapatite (HAP) was synthesized. Biomedical scaffolds were prepared using this synthesized powder on a sacrificial polyurethane sponge template after the incorporation of mangiferin (MAN). Mn was substituted at a concentration of 5% and [...] Read more.
Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) containing β-tricalcium phosphate and manganese (Mn)-substituted hydroxyapatite (HAP) was synthesized. Biomedical scaffolds were prepared using this synthesized powder on a sacrificial polyurethane sponge template after the incorporation of mangiferin (MAN). Mn was substituted at a concentration of 5% and 10% in HAP to examine the efficacy of Mn at various concentrations. The phase analysis of the as-formed BCP scaffold was carried out by X-ray diffraction analysis, while the qualitative observation of morphology and the osteoblast cell differentiation were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy techniques. Gene expressions of osteocalcin, collagen 1, and RUNX2 were carried out using qRT-PCR analyses. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of ALP activity were observed with extended osteoblast induction on the mangiferin-incorporated BCP scaffolds. After characterization of the specimens, it was found that the scaffolds with 10% Mn-incorporated BCP with mangiferin showed better osteogenicity and simultaneously the same scaffolds exhibited higher anti-bacterial properties as observed from the bacterial viability test. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of Mn and MAN in BCP for osteogenicity and antibacterial action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Nanocomposites and Technologies for Water Treatment)
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