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Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition
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Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 1947

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Olga Sacco

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biology "A.Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: synthesis and characterization of catalytic materials; phosphor-based nanomaterials; nanostructured photocatalysts and supports; photocatalysis for the removal of pollutants from water and wastewater; membrane separation processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vincenzo Vaiano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo 2 132, I-84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
Interests: photocatalysis for sustainable chemistry; photocatalytic and photo-Fenton processes for pollutants removal in wastewater; catalytic combustion of sewage sludge; decomposition and oxidative decomposition of H2S; hydrolysis of COS in the liquid phase
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonietta Mancuso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo 2 132, I-84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Interests: preparation and characterization of nanophotocatalysts for environmental remediation and organic synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is the second edition of the Special Issue titled “Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation”. In this new edition, we will continue to showcase the latest advancements in catalytic and photocatalytic methods and systems for environmental remediation. We welcome research papers and comprehensive review articles that focus on the synthesis and characterization of novel nanomaterials or nanocomposites, as well as their applications in the catalytic removal of pollutants from liquid and gaseous phases. Additionally, we invite submissions on innovative structured catalysts designed for various applications in this Special Issue.

Dr. Olga Sacco
Dr. Vincenzo Vaiano
Dr. Antonietta Mancuso
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. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

  • nanomaterials
  • zero-valent iron (ZVI)
  • nanostructured photocatalysts
  • heterostructures
  • structured catalysts
  • water and wastewater treatment
  • gaseous stream treatment

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 3789 KiB  
Article
Rhizobium’s Reductase for Chromium Detoxification, Heavy Metal Resistance, and Artificial Neural Network-Based Predictive Modeling
by Mohammad Oves, Majed Ahmed Al-Shaeri, Huda A. Qari and Mohd Shahnawaz Khan
Catalysts 2025, 15(8), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15080726 (registering DOI) - 30 Jul 2025
Viewed by 102
Abstract
This study analyzed the heavy metal tolerance and chromium reduction and the potential of plant growth to promote Rhizobium sp. OS-1. By genetic makeup, the Rhizobium strain is nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing in metal-contaminated agricultural soil. Among the Rhizobium group, bacterial strain OS-1 showed [...] Read more.
This study analyzed the heavy metal tolerance and chromium reduction and the potential of plant growth to promote Rhizobium sp. OS-1. By genetic makeup, the Rhizobium strain is nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing in metal-contaminated agricultural soil. Among the Rhizobium group, bacterial strain OS-1 showed a significant tolerance to heavy metals, particularly chromium (900 µg/mL), zinc (700 µg/mL), and copper. In the initial investigation, the bacteria strains were morphologically short-rod, Gram-negative, appeared as light pink colonies on media plates, and were biochemically positive for catalase reaction and the ability to ferment glucose, sucrose, and mannitol. Further, bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and amplified with the 16SrRNA gene and sequencing; the obtained 16S rRNA sequence achieved accession no. HE663761.1 from the NCBI GenBank, and it was confirmed that the strain belongs to the Rhizobium genus by phylogenetic analysis. The strain’s performance was best for high hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] reduction at 7–8 pH and a temperature of 30 °C, resulting in a total decrease in 96 h. Additionally, the adsorption isotherm Freundlich and Langmuir models fit best for this study, revealing a large biosorption capacity, with Cr(VI) having the highest affinity. Further bacterial chromium reduction was confirmed by an enzymatic test of nitro reductase and chromate reductase activity in bacterial extract. Further, from the metal biosorption study, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was built to assess the metal reduction capability, considering the variables of pH, temperature, incubation duration, and initial metal concentration. The model attained an excellent expected accuracy (R2 > 0.90). With these features, this bacterial strain is excellent for bioremediation and use for industrial purposes and agricultural sustainability in metal-contaminated agricultural fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 7478 KiB  
Article
Constructing a Ta3N5/Tubular Graphitic Carbon Nitride Van Der Waals Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
by Junbo Yu, Guiming Ba, Fuhong Bi, Huilin Hu, Jinhua Ye and Defa Wang
Catalysts 2025, 15(7), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15070691 - 20 Jul 2025
Viewed by 378
Abstract
Constructing a heterojunction is considered one of the most effective strategies for enhancing photocatalytic activity. Herein, we employ Ta3N5 and tubular graphitic carbon nitride (TCN) to construct a Ta3N5/TCN van der Waals heterojunction via electrostatic self-assembly [...] Read more.
Constructing a heterojunction is considered one of the most effective strategies for enhancing photocatalytic activity. Herein, we employ Ta3N5 and tubular graphitic carbon nitride (TCN) to construct a Ta3N5/TCN van der Waals heterojunction via electrostatic self-assembly for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production. SEM and TEM results show that Ta3N5 particles (~300 nm in size) are successfully anchored onto the surface of TCN. The light absorption capability of the Ta3N5/TCN heterojunction is between those of Ta3N5 and TCN. The strong interaction between Ta3N5 and TCN with different energy structures (Fermi levels) by van der Waals force renders the formation of an interfacial electric field to drive the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers in the Ta3N5/TCN heterojunction, as evidenced by the photoluminescence (PL) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) characterization results. Consequently, the optimal Ta3N5/TCN heterojunction exhibits a remarkable H2 production rate of 12.73 mmol g−1 h−1 under visible light irradiation, which is 3.3 and 16.8 times those of TCN and Ta3N5, respectively. Meanwhile, the cyclic experiment demonstrates excellent stability of the Ta3N5/TCN heterojunction upon photocatalytic reaction. Notably, the photocatalytic performance of 15-TaN/TCN outperforms the most previously reported CN-based and Ta3N5-based heterojunctions for H2 production. This work provides a new avenue for the rational design of CN-based van der Waals heterojunction photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 935 KiB  
Article
Plasmon-Driven Catalytic Inhibition of pATP Oxidation as a Mechanism for Indirect Fe²⁺ Detection on a SERS-Active Platform
by Alexandru-Milentie Hada, Mihail-Mihnea Moruz, Alexandru Holca, Simion Astilean, Marc Lamy de la Chapelle and Monica Focsan
Catalysts 2025, 15(7), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15070667 - 8 Jul 2025
Viewed by 504
Abstract
The detection of Fe2+ in environmental water sources is critical due to its biological relevance and potential toxicity at elevated levels. Herein, we report a plasmon-driven catalytic sensing nanoplatform based on p-aminothiophenol (pATP)-functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the selective and sensitive detection [...] Read more.
The detection of Fe2+ in environmental water sources is critical due to its biological relevance and potential toxicity at elevated levels. Herein, we report a plasmon-driven catalytic sensing nanoplatform based on p-aminothiophenol (pATP)-functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the selective and sensitive detection of Fe2+. The nanoplatform exploits the inhibition of the plasmon-driven catalytic conversion of pATP to 4,4-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB), monitored via surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. The catalytic efficiency was quantified by the intensity ratio between the formed DMAB-specific Raman band and the common aromatic ring vibration band of pATP and DMAB. This ratio decreased proportionally with increasing Fe2+ concentration over a range of 100 µM to 1.5 mM, with a calculated limit of detection of 39.7 µM. High selectivity was demonstrated against common metal ions, and excellent recovery rates (96.6–99.4%) were obtained in real water samples. Mechanistic insights, supported by chronopotentiometric measurements under light irradiation, revealed a competitive oxidation pathway in which Fe2+ preferentially consumes plasmon-generated hot holes over pATP. This mechanism clarifies the observed catalytic inhibition and supports the design of redox-responsive SERS sensors. The platform offers a rapid, low-cost, and portable solution for Fe2+ monitoring and holds promise for broader applications in detecting other redox-active analytes in complex environmental matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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29 pages, 16013 KiB  
Review
Supramolecular Perylene Diimides for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
by Long Tian, Qing Meng, Wenjie Zhou, Bang Hu, Zichun Jiang, Yulong Cai, Xiaoguang Liu and Yingzhi Chen
Catalysts 2025, 15(5), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15050463 - 8 May 2025
Viewed by 735
Abstract
Energy depletion and environmental pollution have emerged as pressing global concerns, demanding the urgent promotion of green and clean energy sources. As such, the efficient utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production has gained significant research attention, with semiconductor photocatalysis emerging as an [...] Read more.
Energy depletion and environmental pollution have emerged as pressing global concerns, demanding the urgent promotion of green and clean energy sources. As such, the efficient utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production has gained significant research attention, with semiconductor photocatalysis emerging as an effective strategy. However, harnessing the full potential of semiconductor photocatalysis still poses great challenges. Notably, the limited utilization of visible light and the substantial recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs adversely affect photocatalytic performance, ultimately impeding the further development and practical application of semiconductor photocatalysis. Perylene diimide (PDI), an n-type semiconductor distinguished by its conjugated π-π bonds, exhibits remarkable photoelectric properties. Its energy band gap falls within the absorption range of visible light, ensuring remarkable light absorption efficiency. Furthermore, the photogenerated charge can be efficiently conducted along the π-π stacking in its structural unit, significantly reducing electron–hole recombination. Consequently, PDI holds immense potential for achieving visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production. Yet, despite these attributes, the photocatalytic efficiency of pure PDI is still far from practical use, necessitating innovative modifications to elevate its catalytic performance. In this review, we begin with an in-depth exploration of the principles underlying photocatalytic hydrogen production and discuss various strategies aimed at enhancing photocatalytic performance. We also engage in a comprehensive discussion and summation of the challenges encountered and the future prospects of PDI-based materials. Our endeavor is to pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in the field of photocatalysis, ultimately contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Catalytic and Photocatalytic Systems for Environmental Remediation, 2nd Edition)
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