Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.3
4.0
Journals
Catalysts
Special Issues
From Photocatalysts to Photoreactors: Scalable and Sustainable Technologies for Water...
share announcement

From Photocatalysts to Photoreactors: Scalable and Sustainable Technologies for Water Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 639

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lourdes Hurtado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical Engineering Department, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Mexico City 01229, Mexico
Interests: photocatalysis; water treatment; CO2 photoreduction
Prof. Dr. Abdeltif Amrane

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rennes Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Rennes, CEDEX 7, 35708 Rennes, France
Interests: environmental engineering; combined processes; biological treatment; advanced (electrochemical) oxidation processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in heterogeneous photocatalysis for wastewater treatment, with particular emphasis on bridging the gap between photocatalyst development and practical implementation. While significant progress has been made in designing efficient photocatalytic materials for pollutant degradation, important challenges remain in reactor design, catalyst immobilization, light utilization and process scale-up.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight research that connects photocatalyst development with reactor engineering and scalable water treatment technologies. Contributions on innovative photocatalytic reactors, structured or immobilized catalysts and pilot-scale or demonstration systems are particularly encouraged.

In addition, contributions addressing sustainability aspects are welcome, including energy efficiency, catalyst stability and reuse and the toxicity assessment of transformation products. Studies exploring integrated treatment strategies, particularly those combining photocatalysis with electrochemical or biological processes to enhance water treatment performance, are also within the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Lourdes Hurtado
Prof. Dr. Abdeltif Amrane
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • heterogeneous photocatalysis
  • photocatalytic reactors
  • wastewater treatment
  • sustainable water treatment
  • emerging contaminants

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

40 pages, 6229 KB  
Article
Magnetized Cow Bone-Derived Char–Alginate Hydrogel Beads for Catalytic Degradation of β-Blocker Drug Nadolol and Treatment of Real Pharmaceutical Wastewater in a Periodate-Activated Continuous-Flow Fluidized-Bed Photoreactor
by Hassan Shokry, Hanan Alhussain, Arafat Toghan, Emad M. Masoud, Karim Amer, Marwa Elkady, Mahmoud Samy and Mohamed Mohamed Gaber
Catalysts 2026, 16(5), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16050477 - 20 May 2026
Viewed by 293
Abstract
Here, the degradation of a β-blocker drug (Nadolol (NAD)) and real pharmaceutical wastewater was achieved using magnetized cow bone waste-derived char (MCBWC)–alginate hydrogel beads via a periodate (PI) activation system in a continuous-flow fluidized-bed photoreactor. The removal of NAD by PI-based degradation systems [...] Read more.
Here, the degradation of a β-blocker drug (Nadolol (NAD)) and real pharmaceutical wastewater was achieved using magnetized cow bone waste-derived char (MCBWC)–alginate hydrogel beads via a periodate (PI) activation system in a continuous-flow fluidized-bed photoreactor. The removal of NAD by PI-based degradation systems has not been previously reported, and the degradation of real industrial wastewater in continuous-flow photoreactors remains underexplored. The fabricated beads exhibited a high surface area of 78.58 m2 g−1, a total pore volume of 0.19 cm3 g−1, and an effective integration of all composite components. The MCBWC–alginate hydrogel beads/PI/light degradation system degraded 71.47% of NAD, which was higher than that of the sole photocatalysis and PI activation systems. Further, the optimal operating condition could achieve a NAD degradation efficiency of 97.1% and a total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 82.78%. Furthermore, the degradation system demonstrated the non-formation of toxic iodinated byproducts. The hydrogel beads demonstrated high stability, where the NAD degradation efficiency slightly decreased by only 2.85% across five successive experiments. Singlet oxygen and iodine-based radicals contributed to NAD degradation more than other reactive species. Bicarbonate showed the highest suppressive effect on the degradation performance, while adding 10 mg L−1 of humic acid decreased the degradation efficiency to 85.58%. The degradation system could further degrade other pharmaceuticals (e.g., ibuprofen, paracetamol, carbamazepine, tetracycline) and real pharmaceutical wastewater, attaining 78.37% degradation efficiency of NAD and 44.25% TOC mineralization. This study presents a stable, effective, and continuous degradation system that can be employed in real-world industrial wastewater treatment applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Photocatalysts to Photoreactors: Scalable and Sustainable Technologies for Water Treatment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop