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Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials
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Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 8325

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qinghua Yan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Qingdao Engineering Research Center for Rural Environment, College of Resources and Environment, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
Interests: air pollution control; advanced oxidation technology; NOx removal; catalysis; transient reaction kinetics
Dr. Tianshan Xue

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Atmospheric Environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Interests: VOCs; catalytic oxidation; environmental policy; cost–benefit analysis
Dr. Liang Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: CO2 capture and utilization (CCU); engineering of air pollution control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental functional materials mainly refer to new materials with unique physical, chemical and biological properties, as well as an excellent environmental purification effect, able to play an important role in classic crafts or provide humans with new environmental crafts. For example, carbon materials, perovskite, molecular sieves, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and metallic organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown their unique value in pollutant treatment technologies in the fields of water, air and solid waste, while attracting progressively more researchers' attention.

Additionally, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has gradually increased from 324 ppm in 1970 to 409.8 ppm in 2019. Carbon sequestration via carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is one of the most useful methods used to lower greenhouse gas emissions, since it is technically and economically feasible. Whether it is for subsequent CO2 utilization or storage, effective CO2 capture is a necessary prerequisite. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview and comprehensive description of recent advances in environmental functional materials and carbon dioxide storage materials, with the aim of gathering contributions from the most significant researchers in this field.

We welcome original research articles and reviews on themes including, but not limited to:

  • New materials and strategies in CO2 capture and utilization (solid adsorbents, liquid absorbents, thermal catalysts, photocatalysts and electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction);
  • Novel materials for NOx/VOCs adsorption and catalytic reduction, especially modification technology and mechanism exploration;
  • New idea of multi-gas pollutant collaborative purification technology, including composite materials, operation parameters and mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Qinghua Yan
Dr. Tianshan Xue
Dr. Liang Huang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)
  • VOCs oxidation
  • NOx removal material
  • advanced oxidation technology
  • resource utilization of solid waste
  • physical and chemical characterizations of materials
  • adsorption and catalytic reaction mechanisms
  • environmental applications

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 7571 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Intermediate-Temperature CO2 Adsorption Performance of K2CO3-Promoted Layered Double Hydroxide-Derived Adsorbents
by Ruotong Li, Xixuan Hu, Liang Huang, Nicholas Mulei Musyoka, Tianshan Xue and Qiang Wang
Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1192; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061192 - 07 Mar 2024
Viewed by 622
Abstract
The dynamic adsorption characteristics of K2CO3-promoted layered double hydroxides (LDHs)-based adsorbent, with organic and inorganic anion intercalation, were studied. MgAl–LDH, K2CO3/MgAl–LDH, and K2CO3/MgAl–LDH(C16) with varying K2CO3 loads were [...] Read more.
The dynamic adsorption characteristics of K2CO3-promoted layered double hydroxides (LDHs)-based adsorbent, with organic and inorganic anion intercalation, were studied. MgAl–LDH, K2CO3/MgAl–LDH, and K2CO3/MgAl–LDH(C16) with varying K2CO3 loads were prepared and used for intermediate-temperature CO2 sequestration. The adsorbent was thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy techniques, which revealed enhanced adsorption properties of MgAl–LDH, due to K2CO3 promotion. Thermogravimetric CO2 adsorption tests on the constructed adsorbent materials showed that the 12.5 wt% K2CO3/MgAl–LDH(C16) adsorbent with organic anion intercalation exhibited optimal adsorption activity, achieving an adsorption capacity of 1.12 mmol/g at 100% CO2 and 350 °C. However, fixed-bed dynamic adsorption tests yielded different results; the 25 wt% K2CO3/MgAl–LDH prepared through inorganic anion intercalation exhibited the best adsorption performance in low-concentration CO2 penetration tests. The recorded penetration time was 93.1 s, accompanied by an adsorption capacity of 0.722 mmol/g. This can be attributed to the faster adsorption kinetics exhibited by the 25 wt% K2CO3/MgAl–LDH adsorbent during the early stages of adsorption, thereby facilitating efficient CO2 capture in low-concentration CO2 streams. This is a conclusion that differs from previous reports. Earlier reports indicated that LDHs with organic anion intercalation exhibited higher CO2 adsorption activity in thermogravimetric analyzer tests. However, this study found that for the fixed-bed dynamic adsorption process, K2CO3-modified inorganic anion-intercalated LDHs perform better, indicating their greater potential in practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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14 pages, 2209 KiB  
Article
Effective Removal of Cd from Aqueous Solutions Using P-Loaded Ca-Mn-Impregnated Biochar
by Cheng Qiu, Chengwei Wang, Qinghai Liu, Minling Gao and Zhengguo Song
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7553; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227553 - 12 Nov 2023
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) pollution in wastewater has become an increasingly widespread concern worldwide. Studies on Cd (II) removal using phosphate-adsorbed sorbents are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the behaviors and mechanisms of Cd (II) sorption on phosphate-loaded Ca-Mn-impregnated biochar (Ps-CMBC). The [...] Read more.
Cadmium (Cd) pollution in wastewater has become an increasingly widespread concern worldwide. Studies on Cd (II) removal using phosphate-adsorbed sorbents are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the behaviors and mechanisms of Cd (II) sorption on phosphate-loaded Ca-Mn-impregnated biochar (Ps-CMBC). The Cd (II) sorption on Ps-CMBC reached equilibrium within 2 h and exhibited a higher sorption efficiency than biochar and CMBC. Additionally, the Langmuir isotherm could better describe the Cd (II) adsorption on the sorbents. P75-CMBC had a maximum Cd (II) sorption capability of 70.13 mg·g−1 when fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, which was approximately 3.18 and 2.86 times greater than those of biochar and CMBC, respectively. Higher pH (5–7) had minimal effect on Cd (II) sorption capacity. The results of characterization analyses, such as SEM-EDS, FTIR, and XPS, suggested that there was a considerable difference in the sorption mechanisms of Cd (II) among the sorbents. The primary sorption mechanisms for biochar, CMBC, and Ps-CMBC included electrostatic attraction and surface complexation; additionally, for Ps-CMBC, Cd (II)-π interactions and coordination of Cd (II) with P=O were critical mechanisms for Cd (II) removal. The results of this study demonstrate that phosphate-loaded CMBC can be used as an effective treatment for heavy metal pollution in aqueous media. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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15 pages, 2040 KiB  
Article
CO2 Capture and Release in Amine Solutions: To What Extent Can Molecular Simulations Help Understand the Trends?
by Changru Ma, Fabio Pietrucci and Wanda Andreoni
Molecules 2023, 28(18), 6447; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28186447 - 05 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1066
Abstract
Absorption in amine solutions is a well-established advanced technology for CO2 capture. However, the fundamental aspects of the chemical reactions occurring in solution still appear to be unclear. Our previous investigation of aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD), based on ab initio [...] Read more.
Absorption in amine solutions is a well-established advanced technology for CO2 capture. However, the fundamental aspects of the chemical reactions occurring in solution still appear to be unclear. Our previous investigation of aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD), based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations aided with metadynamics, provided new insights into the reaction mechanisms leading to CO2 capture and release with carbamate formation and dissociation. In particular, the role of water—strongly underestimated in previous computational studies—was established as essential in determining the development of all relevant reactions. In this article, we apply the same simulation protocol to other relevant primary amines, namely, a sterically hindered amine (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP)) and an aromatic amine (benzylamine (BZA)). We also discuss the case of CO2 capture with the formation of bicarbonate. New information is thus obtained that extends our understanding. However, quantitative predictions obtained using molecular simulations suffer from several methodological problems, and comparison among different chemical species is especially demanding. We clarify these problems further with a discussion of previous attempts to explain the different behaviors of AMP and MEA using other types of models and computations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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14 pages, 3660 KiB  
Article
Effects of Si/Al Ratio on Passive NOx Adsorption Performance over Pd/Beta Zeolites
by Shasha Huang, Qiang Wang, Yulong Shan, Xiaoyan Shi, Zhongqi Liu and Hong He
Molecules 2023, 28(8), 3501; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28083501 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1495
Abstract
In the current article, the effect of Si/Al ratio on the NOx adsorption and storage capacity over Pd/Beta with 1 wt% Pd loading was investigated. The XRD, 27Al NMR and 29Si NMR measurements were used to determine the structure of [...] Read more.
In the current article, the effect of Si/Al ratio on the NOx adsorption and storage capacity over Pd/Beta with 1 wt% Pd loading was investigated. The XRD, 27Al NMR and 29Si NMR measurements were used to determine the structure of Pd/Beta zeolites. XAFS, XPS, CO-DRIFT, TEM and H2-TPR were used to identify the Pd species. The results showed that the NOx adsorption and storage capacity on Pd/Beta zeolites gradually decreased with the increase of Si/Al ratio. Pd/Beta-Si (Si-rich, Si/Al~260) rarely has NOx adsorption and storage capacity, while Pd/Beta-Al (Al-rich, Si/Al~6) and Pd/Beta-C (Common, Si/Al~25) exhibit excellent NOx adsorption and storage capacity and suitable desorption temperature. Pd/Beta-C has slightly lower desorption temperature compared to Pd/Beta-Al. The NOx adsorption and storage capacity increased for Pd/Beta-Al and Pd/Beta-C by hydrothermal aging treatment, while the NOx adsorption and storage capacity on Pd/Beta-Si had no change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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13 pages, 3078 KiB  
Article
Block Copolymer-Assisted Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Effective Removal of Congo Red
by Mohan K. Bhattarai, Moses D. Ashie, Sita Dugu, Kiran Subedi, Bishnu P. Bastakoti, Gerardo Morell and Ram S. Katiyar
Molecules 2023, 28(4), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28041914 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized via a block copolymer-assisted hydrothermal method and the phase purity and the crystal structure were investigated by X-ray diffraction. The Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffractometer spectra shows the hexagonal phase symmetry of α-Fe2O3. [...] Read more.
Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized via a block copolymer-assisted hydrothermal method and the phase purity and the crystal structure were investigated by X-ray diffraction. The Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffractometer spectra shows the hexagonal phase symmetry of α-Fe2O3. Further, the vibrational study suggests Raman active modes: 2A1g + 5Eg associated with α-Fe2O3, which corroborates the Rietveld analysis and orbital analysis of 2PFe. The superparamagnetic behavior is confirmed by magnetic measurements performed by the physical properties measurement system. The systematic study of the Congo red (CR) interaction with IONPs using a UV-visible spectrophotometer and a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry system equipped with a triple quadrupole mass analyzer and an electrospray ionization interface shows effective adsorption. In visible light, the Fe2O3 nanoparticles get easily excited and generate electrons and holes. The photogenerated electrons reduce the Fe3+ ions to Fe2+ ions. The Fe2+/H2O2 oxidizes CR by the Fenton mechanism. The strong adsorption ability of prepared nanoparticles towards dyes attributes the potential candidates for wastewater treatment and other catalytic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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13 pages, 3333 KiB  
Article
Structural Diversity and Carbon Dioxide Sorption Selectivity of Zinc(II) Metal-Organic Frameworks Based on Bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methane and Terephthalic Acid
by Taisiya S. Sukhikh, Evgeny Yu. Filatov, Alexey A. Ryadun, Konstantin A. Kovalenko and Andrei S. Potapov
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6481; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196481 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1447
Abstract
A three-component reaction between the 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic (terephthalic) acid (H2bdc), bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methane (btrm) and zinc nitrate was studied, and three new coordination polymers were isolated by a careful selection of the reaction conditions. Coordination polymers {[Zn3(DMF)(btrm)(bdc)3]·nDMF}∞ and {[Zn [...] Read more.
A three-component reaction between the 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic (terephthalic) acid (H2bdc), bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methane (btrm) and zinc nitrate was studied, and three new coordination polymers were isolated by a careful selection of the reaction conditions. Coordination polymers {[Zn3(DMF)(btrm)(bdc)3]·nDMF}∞ and {[Zn3(btrm)(bdc)3]·nDMF}∞ containing trinuclear {Zn3(bdc)3} secondary building units are joined by btrm auxiliary linkers into three-dimensional metal–organic frameworks. The coordination polymer {[Zn(bdc)(btrm)]∙nDMF}∞ consists of Zn2+ cations joined by bdc2− and btrm linkers into a two-fold interpenetrated network. Upon activation, MOF [Zn3(btrm)(bdc)3]∞ demonstrated CO2/N2 adsorption selectivity with an ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) factor of 21. All three MOF demonstrated photoluminescence with a maximum near 435–440 nm upon excitation at 330 nm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Functional Materials and CO2 Storage Materials)
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