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Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2023) | Viewed by 13753

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alireza Khataee

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Guest Editor

Research Laboratory of Advanced Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes, Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Interests: synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials; advanced oxidation processes; ultrasound-assisted processes; electrochemical water treatment processes; chemiluminescence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Arezou Fazli

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Guest Editor

Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, Université Clermont Auvergne, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Interests: synthesis, characterization, optimization and application of heterogeneous catalysts in environmental remediation; advanced oxidation processes; photochemistry in water; advanced two-dimensional materials; polymeric nanocomposites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On a global scale, water contamination and the depletion of non-renewable energy sources are the major challenges. Considering the burgeoning demand for a good supply of drinking water, decreasing the continuously elevated level of water pollution is necessary. On the other hand, the increase in industrialization enforced the decrease in petroleum, natural gas, and coal reservoir and consequently an enormous demand for alternative energy. Therefore, researchers have developed novel nanomaterial-based technologies for the simultaneous treatment of water pollutants and energy recovery.

This special issue entitled “Advanced water treatment and energy technologies for a sustainable environment” will collect the researches focused on the recent progress in nanotechnology aspects for wastewater treatment and energy storage. The relevant manuscripts concerning the synthesis and characterization of nano-structured innovative materials and their applicability in different processes such as adsorption, photocatalytic, piezo-catalytic/photocatalytic, electrochemical, sono-catalytic/photocatalytic, water splitting processes, etc. can be submitted for this special issue.

Prof. Dr. Alireza Khataee
Dr. Arezou Fazli
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

wastewater treatment
sustainable nanocatalysts
metal oxides
two-dimensional materials
metal-organic frameworks
quantum dots
carbon-based nanomaterials
green synthesized nanomaterials
biopolymers
piezo-catalysts
porous nanomaterials
advanced oxidation processes
membrane filtration
water splitting

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 10194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Characterization of Polyethersulfone-Ultrafiltration Membrane Blended with Terbium-Doped Cerium Magnesium Aluminate: Analysis of Fouling Behavior

by Gouled Aouled, Saleem Raza, Ehsan Ghasali, Asif Hayat and Yasin Orooji

Molecules 2023, 28(6), 2688; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062688 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1693

Abstract

In this study, various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water-contact-angle goniometry (WCAG), were used to characterize the crystalline structure and morphological properties of terbium-doped cerium magnesium aluminate (Ce_0.67Tb_0.33MgA_l11O₁₉ or CMAT) in powder form. The results demonstrated that CMAT was successfully synthesized with a particle size of less than 5 µm and a fully evident distribution of elements, as revealed by the SEM images. This was further confirmed by the XRD and HRTEM images. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of all necessary components in CMAT. Additionally, WCAG results showed that the contact angle of CMAT was more hydrophilic with a value of 8.4°. To evaluate its performance, CMAT particles were dispersed in a Polyethersulfone (PES) solution and used to modify a PES ultrafiltration membrane through a phase-inversion method. The resulting membranes were characterized by SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), WCAG, and permeability performance and fouling experiments. The addition of CMAT to the PES membranes did not have a significant effect on the structure of the SEM images of the top layer and cross-section of surface properties. However, increasing the concentration of CMAT improved the membrane surface roughness in AFM, and the modified membranes had the ability to resist fouling. The addition of CMAT did not lead to significant energy loss, indicating that the heat flux loss observed can indeed be explained by the amount of C-OH on the PES membrane’s surface. The contact angle of the membranes became more hydrophilic with increasing concentration of CMAT from PES G0 to PES G7. The PES origin membrane showed a higher permeation than the membranes mixed with CMAT, and the modified membranes with CMAT displayed significant fouling resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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16 pages, 5215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decomposition of Phosphorus Pollution and Microorganism Analysis Using Novel CW-MFCs under Different Influence Factors

by Chunpeng Leng, Yonggang Yuan, Zhiyu Zhang, Qiushi Shi, Fuping Li and Hao Wang

Molecules 2023, 28(5), 2124; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052124 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1274

Abstract

A constructed wetland (CW)-coupled microbial fuel cell (MFC) system was constructed to treat wastewater and generate electricity. The total phosphorus in the simulated domestic sewage was used as the treatment target, and the optimal phosphorus removal effect and electricity generation were determined by comparing the changes in substrates, hydraulic retention times, and microorganisms. The mechanism underlying phosphorus removal was also analyzed. By using magnesia and garnet as substrates, the best removal efficiencies of two CW-MFC systems reached 80.3% and 92.4%. Phosphorus removal by the garnet matrix mainly depends on a complex adsorption process, whereas the magnesia system relies on ion exchange reactions. The maximum output voltage and stabilization voltage of the garnet system were higher than those of the magnesia system. Microorganisms in the wetland sediments and electrode also changed considerably. It indicates that the mechanism of phosphorus removal by the substrate in the CW-MFC system is adsorption and chemical reaction between ions to generate precipitation. The population structure of proteobacteria and other microorganisms has an impact on both power generation and phosphorus removal. Combining the advantages of constructed wetlands and microbial fuel cells also improved phosphorus removal in coupled system. Therefore, when studying a CW-MFC system, the selection of electrode materials, matrix, and system structure should be taken into account to find a method that will improve the power generation capacity of the system and remove phosphorus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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15 pages, 2819 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Siderite and Application as Catalyst in the Electro-Fenton Oxidation of p-Benzoquinone

by Özkan Görmez, Barış Saçlı, Uğur Çağlayan, Dimitrios Kalderis and Belgin Gözmen

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 8056; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27228056 - 20 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1844

Abstract

A weak aspect of the electro-Fenton (EF) oxidation of contaminants is the dependence of the Fenton reaction on acidic pH values. Therefore, the rationale of this work was to develop a novel catalyst capable of promoting the EF oxidation process at near-neutral and basic pH values. In this framework, rhombohedral FeCO₃ was synthesized hydrothermally and used as a catalyst in the EF oxidation of p-benzoquinone (BQ). The catalyst was characterized using various surface and spectroscopic methods. Moreover, the effects of applied current (100–500 mA), time (1–9 h), catalyst dosage (0.25–1.00 g L⁻¹), and initial concentration of BQ (0.50–1.00 mM) on the total organic carbon removal efficiency were determined. The results indicated that a 400 mA current was sufficient for a 95% total organic carbon removal and that the increase in catalyst dosage had a positive effect on the mineralization of BQ. It was determined that at pH 3, FeCO₃ behaved like a homogeneous catalyst by releasing Fe³⁺ ions; whereas, at the pH range of 5–7, it shifted to a homogeneous/heterogeneous catalyst. At pH 9, it worked solely as a heterogeneous catalyst due to the decrease of Fe ions passing into the solution. Finally, the spent catalyst did not undergo structural deformations after the EF treatment at higher pH values and could be regenerated and used several times Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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15 pages, 3154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Coagulation-Flocculation Process in Efficient Arsenic Removal from Highly Contaminated Groundwater by Response Surface Methodology

by Saba Amiri, Vahid Vatanpour and Tao He

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7953; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227953 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2415

Abstract

Elevated arsenic (As) contamination in water, especially groundwater, has been recognized as a major problem of catastrophic proportions. This work explores As(V) removal via the coagulation-flocculation process by use of ferric chloride coagulant and polyacrylamide k16 co-coagulant as a first time. The effects of major operating variables such as coagulant dosing (50, 125 and 200 mg/L), co-coagulant dosing (5, 12.5 and 20 mg/L), pH (6, 7and 8), fast mixing time (1, 2 and 3 min), and fast mixing speed (110, 200 and 300 rpm) on As(V) removal efficiency were investigated by a Box-Behnken statistical experiment design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). According to factors F values, coagulant dosing, rapid mixing speed, pH, and co-coagulant dosing showed the most effect on As(V) removal efficiency, and the rapid mixing time factor indicated the slightest effect. The proposed quadratic model was significant with a p value < 0.0001 and has satisfactorily described the experimental data with R² and adjusted R² values of 0.9855 and 0.9738, respectively. Predicted model optimal conditions with target of complete As(V) removal were coagulant dosing = 197.63 ppm, co-coagulant dosing = 19.55 ppm, pH = 7.37, fast mixing time = 1.43 min and fast mixing speed = 286.77 rpm. The treatment of Nazarabad well water sample with an initial As(V) concentration of 5 mg/L under the optimal conditions removed 100% As(V) with the volume of produced sludge of 10.7 mL/200 mL. Increasing coagulant dosing, co-coagulant dosing, fast mixing time and fast mixing speed operation parameters from low-level to high-level values indicated 78%, 20%, 10.52% and 9.47% increases in volume of the produced sludge, respectively. However, a reduction of 13.63% in volume of the produced sludge resulted via pH increases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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17 pages, 3898 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Functionalized Benzene Derivatives as Potential Hole Scavengers for BiVO₄ and rGO-BiVO₄ Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

by Tayebeh Sharifi, Marin Kovačić, Monika Belec, Klara Perović, Marin Popović, Gabrijela Radić, Boštjan Žener, Anamarija Pulitika, Marijana Kraljić Roković, Urška Lavrenčič Štangar, Ana Lončarić Božić and Hrvoje Kušić

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7806; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227806 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1735

Abstract

Sustainable hydrogen production is one of the main challenges today in the transition to a green and sustainable economy. Photocatalytic hydrogen production is one of the most promising technologies, amongst which BiVO₄-based processes are highly attractive due to their suitable band gap for solar-driven processes. However, the performance of BiVO₄ alone in this role is often unsatisfactory. Herein we report the improvement of BiVO₄ performance with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a co-catalyst for the photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS) in the presence of simple functionalized benzene derivatives (SFBDs), i.e., phenol (PH), benzoic acid (BA), salicylic acid (SA), and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) as potential photogenerated hole scavengers from contaminated wastewaters. Linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry, along with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were utilized to elucidate PEC-WS performance under illumination. rGO has remarkably improved the performance of BiVO₄ in this role by decreasing photogenerated charge recombination. In addition, 5-ASA greatly improved current densities. After 120 min under LED illumination, 0.53 μmol of H₂ was produced. The type and concentration of SFBDs can have significant and at times opposite effects on the PEC-WS performance of both BiVO₄ and rGO-BiVO₄. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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11 pages, 2654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hierarchically Annular Mesoporous Carbon Derived from Phenolic Resin for Efficient Removal of Antibiotics in Wastewater

by Xuexia Lin, Mengxing Su, Feixiang Fang, Jiafu Hong, Yumeng Zhang and Shu-Feng Zhou

Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6735; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196735 - 09 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1295

Abstract

Antibiotics have become a new type of environmental pollutant due to their extensive use. High-performance adsorbents are of paramount significance for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy to remove antibiotics from water environments. Herein, we report a novel annular mesoporous carbon (MCN), prepared by phenolic resin and triblock copolymer F127, as a high-performance adsorbent to remove penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline hydrochloride from wastewater. The MCNs have high purity, rich annular mesoporosity, a high surface area (605.53 m²/g), and large pore volume (0.58 cm³/g), improving the adsorption capacity and facilitating the efficient removal of penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline hydrochloride from water. In the application of MCNs to treat these three kinds of residual antibiotics, the adsorption amounts of tetracycline hydrochloride were higher than penicillin and streptomycin, and the adsorption capacity was up to 880.6 mg/g. Moreover, high removal efficiency (99.6%) and excellent recyclability were achieved. The results demonstrate that MCN adsorbents have significant potential in the treatment of water contaminated with antibiotics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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Review

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19 pages, 7018 KiB

Open AccessReview

MOF-Based Mycotoxin Nanosensors for Food Quality and Safety Assessment through Electrochemical and Optical Methods

by Hessamaddin Sohrabi, Parya Salahshour Sani, Ramin Zolfaghari, Mir Reza Majidi, Yeojoon Yoon and Alireza Khataee

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7511; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217511 - 03 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2510

Abstract

Mycotoxins in food are hazardous for animal and human health, resulting in food waste and exacerbating the critical global food security situation. In addition, they affect commerce, particularly the incomes of rural farmers. The grave consequences of these contaminants require a comprehensive strategy for their elimination to preserve consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Therefore, developing a policy framework and control strategy for these contaminants is essential to improve food safety. In this context, sensing approaches based on metal-organic frameworks (MOF) offer a unique tool for the quick and effective detection of pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, prohibited food additives, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), toxins, veterinary medications, and pesticide residues. This review focuses on the rapid screening of MOF-based sensors to examine food safety by describing the main features and characteristics of MOF-based nanocomposites. In addition, the main prospects of MOF-based sensors are highlighted in this paper. MOF-based sensing approaches can be advantageous for assessing food safety owing to their mobility, affordability, dependability, sensitivity, and stability. We believe this report will assist readers in comprehending the impacts of food jeopardy exposure, the implications on health, and the usage of metal-organic frameworks for detecting and sensing nourishment risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Energy Generation)

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