Cutting-Edge Catalytic Strategies for Organic Pollutant Mitigation

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental scientists and policymakers around the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing contamination of water, air, and soil by organic pollutants. Because of their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulative nature, organic pollutants—such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals—pose a serious risk to human health as well as ecosystems. Since traditional approaches to pollutant mitigation, such as filtration, adsorption, and biological treatments, frequently lack sustainability and efficiency, advanced catalytic strategies have become a viable way to address this urgent problem. Some of the most innovative catalytic techniques being developed and used for the mitigation of organic pollutants are examined in this Special Issue.

• Heterogeneous Catalysis: An Efficient Route for Degradation

Since heterogeneous catalysis is resilient, reusable, and adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions, it has been at the forefront of environmental remediation. Among the major developments in heterogeneous catalysis are the following:

Photocatalysis: To increase light absorption into the visible spectrum and lower electron–hole recombination rates, researchers have recently concentrated on doping photocatalysts with metals (such as silver, and gold) or non-metals (such as nitrogen, and sulfur).

Fenton and Fenton-Related Catalysis: In order to overcome the restrictions, Fenton-like catalysts that function well over a wider pH range and minimize sludge formation have been developed using transition metals (cobalt, manganese, etc.) and non-metal catalysts (carbon-based materials, etc.). The efficiency and sustainability of pollutant degradation have been further increased by combining Fenton-like processes with other approaches like photocatalysis (photo-Fenton) and electrochemical methods.

• Homogeneous Catalysis: Innovations in Molecular Design

Homogeneous catalysts present difficulties in terms of separation and recovery, but they frequently offer higher selectivity and activity because of improved molecular interactions. To mitigate organic pollutants, homogeneous catalysis has recently made advancements that center on creating more efficient catalytic systems, which are outlined below.

Organometallic Catalysis: These catalysts' special ability to stabilize reaction intermediates and speed up multi-step transformations makes it possible to break down complex organic molecules into less hazardous, simpler forms.

Enzymatic Catalysis: Enzymatic catalysis is a feasible green alternative for pollutant degradation because of developments in protein engineering and directed evolution, which have made it possible to create enzymes with improved stability, substrate range, and resistance to environmental inhibitors.

• Emerging Catalytic Technologies

Nanocatalysis: Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the materials being explored for their catalytic capabilities in pollutant degradation. The use of nanocatalysts in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and as supports for enzyme immobilization has demonstrated significant improvements in reaction rates and catalyst stability.

Catalytic Membranes: Catalytic membranes integrate catalytic materials into filtration membranes, combining separation and degradation processes in a single step. These membranes can selectively adsorb and degrade pollutants, offering a continuous and efficient means of water and air purification.

Electrochemical Catalysis: The ability of electro-oxidation and electro-Fenton processes to produce reactive species (such as hydroxyl radicals) in situ is attracting attention because it makes it possible to degrade resistant pollutants in mild environments. The efficiency and scalability of electrochemical catalytic systems have been further increased by the development of sophisticated electrode materials and reactor designs.

Dr. Nina Kaneva
Guest Editor

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• heterogeneous catalysis
• homogeneous catalysis
• emerging catalytic technologies
• electrochemical catalysis organic pollutant removal