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Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 15669

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chantal Guillard

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Guest Editor

Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon (Ircelyon), UMR5256, CNRS, University Lyon1, F-69626 Villeurbanne, France
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis and catalysis; photocatalytic inactivation of microorganism; water and air treatment; environment; energy; valorization of biomass and of pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Didier Robert

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Guest Editor

Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Santé (UMR7515-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis; water and air treatment; materials for environment depollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Our environment is our life support. However, it is dangerously affected by human activities that lead to significant pollution of water, air, soil, etc. This alteration of our environment by inorganic, organic, and microbiologic toxic substances, promotes the occurrence of short- and long-term health problems. Catalytic advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) constitute a promising technology for the remediation of water, air, and soil contaminated. The following are some examples of these catalytic AOPs: photocatalysis, (photo)Fenton process, (photo)electrocatalytic oxidation, wet air oxidation, catalytic ionization process, catalytic ultrasonication, catalytic ozonation, persulfate treatment, etc.

Despite significant advances in advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs)in recent years, more efficient processes based on these AOTs still need to be developed to remove pollutants in water, air, and soil, including the inactivation of microorganisms. Within this context, we invite the submission of original research papers and review articles that emphasize recent progress and advances in advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs), especially assisted by new catalysts, and comparing their treatment efficiency with that of conventional AOTs. Articles dealing with the development of new catalysts including their synthesis and characterization are welcome as long as they include tests to show their efficiency in environmental pollution abatement. Articles dealing with the use of visible light for activation of the catalysts and debating the efficiency of these new processes for pollution abatement are also of interest for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Chantal Guillard
Dr. Didier Robert
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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 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

Photocatalysis
(photo)Fenton
(photo)electrocatalytic oxidation
wet air oxidation
catalytic ionization
catalytic ultrasonication
catalytic ozonation
persulfate treatment
activation under visible light
water treatment
air treatment
soil treatment
inactivation of microorganisms

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 191 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment

by Chantal Guillard and Didier Robert

Catalysts 2022, 12(5), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12050502 - 29 Apr 2022

Viewed by 1417

Abstract

The environment is what supports life on Earth [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 2054 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Visible-Light Enhanced Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation of Natural Organic Matter in the Presence of Al/Fe-Pillared Clay

by Cristian S. Portilla-Delgado, Ana M. García-Mora, Frederic Dappozze, Chantal Guillard and Luis A. Galeano

Catalysts 2021, 11(5), 637; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050637 - 16 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2356

Abstract

An Al/Fe-pillared clay catalyst (Al/Fe-PILC) prepared from low cost technical-grade reagents has been investigated in the photocatalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (photo-CWPO) of dissolved Natural Organic Matter (NOM) under circumneutral pH. The successful pillaring of the layered clay material was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption at −196 °C, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and simultaneous thermal analysis (TGA/DSC). High levels of mineralization of the dissolved organic carbon and color removal of a synthetic NOM surrogate solution were achieved even under natural lab’s lighting and ambient temperature and pressure, whereas the absence of radiation (in dark) was found to strongly affect the performance of the degradation. The photo-CWPO of NOM activated by the Al/Fe-PILC clay catalyst under visible light irradiation (LED lamp, 450 and 550 nm peaks) displayed a DOC mineralization of 72% and color removal of 73% in just 210 min of irradiation at neutral pH, whereas both responses decayed under ultraviolet lightning (λ: 365 nm) to 41% and 58%, respectively. This behavior is ascribed to formation of triplet states of natural organic matter (³NOM*) by absorption of visible light, which seems to synergistically improve the rate-determining step of the heterogeneous Fenton process, namely reduction of Fe³⁺ into Fe²⁺ on the surface of the clay catalyst. Interestingly, experiments performed at neutral and pH 3.0 showed very similar efficiencies under visible light irradiation; these findings may really facilitate the application of the photo-CWPO process to assist conventional drinking water treatment plants in the removal of NOM before the typical disinfection by chlorine to produce safer drinking water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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11 pages, 1453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oxidation of Aqueous Toluene by Gas-Phase Pulsed Corona Discharge in Air-Water Mixtures Followed by Photocatalytic Exhaust Air Cleaning

by Maarja Kask, Marina Krichevskaya, Sergei Preis and Juri Bolobajev

Catalysts 2021, 11(5), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11050549 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1914

Abstract

The treatment of wastewaters containing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) requires the simultaneous treatment of both water and air. Refractory toluene, extensively studied for its removal, provides a basis for the comparison of its abatement methods. The oxidation of aqueous toluene by gas-phase pulsed corona discharge (PCD) in combination with the subsequent photocatalytic treatment of exhaust air was studied. The PCD treatment showed unequalled energy efficiencies in aqueous and gaseous toluene oxidation, reaching, respectively, up to 10.5 and 29.6 g·kW⁻¹·h⁻¹. The PCD exhaust air contained toluene residues and ozone in concentrations not exceeding 0.1 and 0.6 mg·L⁻¹, respectively. As a result of the subsequent photocatalytic treatment, both airborne residues were eliminated within a contact time with TiO₂ as short as 12 s. The results contribute to the possible application of the studied approach in closed-loop energy-saving ventilation systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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12 pages, 3561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Nitride Quantum Dots Modified TiO₂ Inverse Opal Photonic Crystal for Solving Indoor VOCs Pollution

by Jie Yu, Angel Caravaca, Chantal Guillard, Philippe Vernoux, Liang Zhou, Lingzhi Wang, Juying Lei, Jinlong Zhang and Yongdi Liu

Catalysts 2021, 11(4), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11040464 - 02 Apr 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3028

Abstract

Indoor toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pollution is a serious threat to people’s health and toluene is a typical representative. In this study, we developed a composite photocatalyst of carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs) in situ-doped TiO₂ inverse opal TiO₂ IO for efficient degradation of toluene. The catalyst was fabricated using a sol-gel method with colloidal photonic crystals as the template. The as-prepared catalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of toluene. After 6 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, 93% of toluene can be converted into non-toxic products CO₂ and H₂O, while only 37% of toluene is degraded over commercial P25 in the same condition. This greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity results from two aspects: (i) the inverse opal structure enhances the light harvesting while providing adequate surface area for effective oxidation reactions; (ii) the incorporation of CNQDs in the framework of TiO₂ increases visible light absorption and promotes the separation of photo-generated charges. Collectively, highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of toluene has been achieved. In addition, it can be expanded to efficient degradation of organic pollutants in liquid phase such as phenol and Rhodamine B. This study provides a green, energy saving solution for indoor toxic VOCs removal as well as for the treatment of organic wastewater. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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16 pages, 4949 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Modified-TiO₂ Photocatalyst Supported on β-SiC Foams for the Elimination of Gaseous Diethyl Sulfide as an Analog for Chemical Warfare Agent: Towards the Development of a Photoreactor Prototype

by Armelle Sengele, Didier Robert, Nicolas Keller and Valérie Keller

Catalysts 2021, 11(3), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11030403 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1783

Abstract

In the context of the increase in chemical threat due to warfare agents, the development of efficient methods for destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) are of first importance both for civilian and military purposes. Amongst possible methods for destruction of CWAs, photocatalytic oxidation is an alternative one. The present paper reports on the preparation of Ta and Sn doped TiO₂ photocatalysts immobilized on β-SiC foams for the elimination of diethyl sulfide (DES) used as a model molecule mimicking Yperite (Mustard Gas) in gaseous phase. Photo-oxidation efficiency of doped TiO₂ catalyst has been compared with TiO₂-P25. Here, we demonstrate that the Sn doped-TiO₂ with a Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/TiO₂ ratio of 7 exhibits the best initial activity (up to 90%) but is deactivates more quickly than Ta doped-TiO₂ (40% after 800 min). The activity of the catalysts is strongly influenced by the adsorption properties of the support, as β-SiC foams adsorb DES and other sulfur compounds. This adsorption makes it possible to limit the poisoning of the catalysts and to maintain an acceptable conversion rate even after ten hours under continuous DES flow. Washing with NaOH completely regenerates the catalyst after a firs treatment and even seems to “wash” it by removing impurities initially present on the foams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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13 pages, 1730 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancement of Pentachlorophenol Removal in a Historically Contaminated Soil by Adding Ascorbic Acid to H₂O₂/Magnetite System

by Muhammad Usman, Olivier Monfort, Stefan Haderlein and Khalil Hanna

Catalysts 2021, 11(3), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11030331 - 05 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2128

Abstract

Development of new tools to improve the efficiency of iron minerals in promoting Fenton oxidation for environmental remediation is a highly promising field. Here, we examine for the first time the role of ascorbic acid (AA) in improving the magnetite (Fe₃O₄)-mediated Fenton oxidation to remove pentachlorophenol (PCP) in a historically contaminated soil. Experiments were performed in batch and flow-through conditions. In batch slurry experiments, the combination of Fe₃O₄/AA/H₂O₂ removed up to 95% of PCP as compared to the 43% removal by Fe₃O₄/H₂O₂. Dissolved Fe(II) measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy highlight the role of AA in increasing the Fe(II) generation. Therefore, its presence enabled the Fe₃O₄ to maintain its structural Fe(II) content even after the oxidation reaction. Despite kinetic limitations in water-saturated columns, use of Fe₃O₄/AA/H₂O₂ removed about 70% of PCP contrary to the 20% PCP removal with Fe₃O₄/H₂O₂. This oxidation performance was affected by an injection flow rate or column residence time of AA and H₂O₂ in columns. Thus, the presence of AA significantly improved the ability of magnetite in promoting the Fenton reaction. Owing to the crucial role of AA in the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox cycling, a mixed-valent character of magnetite makes it a potential catalyst for Fenton oxidation of organic pollutants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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20 pages, 4292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flower-Shaped C-Dots/Co₃O₄{111} Constructed with Dual-Reaction Centers for Enhancement of Fenton-Like Reaction Activity and Peroxymonosulfate Conversion to Sulfate Radical

by Zhibin Wen, Qianqian Zhu, Jiali Zhou, Shudi Zhao, Jinnan Wang, Aimin Li, Lifang Chen and Weilin Bian

Catalysts 2021, 11(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11010135 - 18 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

Novel flower-shaped C-dots/Co₃O₄{111} with dual-reaction centers were constructed to improve the Fenton-like reaction activity and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) conversion to sulfate radicals. Due to the exposure of a high surface area and Co₃O₄{111} facets, flower-shaped C-dots/Co₃O₄{111} could provide more Co(II) for PMS activation than traditional spherical Co₃O₄{110}. Meanwhile, PMS was preferred for adsorption on Co₃O₄{111} facets because of a high adsorption energy and thereby facilitated the electron transfer from Co(II) to PMS. More importantly, the Co–O–C linkage between C-dots and Co₃O₄{111} induced the formation of the dual-reaction center, which promoted the production of reactive organic radicals (R•). PMS could be directly reduced to SO₄⁻• by R• over C-dots. On the other hand, electron transferred from R• to Co via Co–O–C linkage could accelerate the redox of Co(II)/(III), avoiding the invalid decomposition of PMS. Thus, C-dots doped on Co₃O₄{111} improved the PMS conversion rate to SO₄⁻• over the single active site, resulting in high turnover numbers (TONs). In addition, TPR analysis indicated that the optimal content of C-dots doped on Co₃O₄{111} is 2.5%. More than 99% of antibiotics and dyes were degraded over C-dots/Co₃O₄{111} within 10 min. Even after six cycles, C-dots/Co₃O₄{111} still remained a high catalytic activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalysis in Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs) for Water, Air and Soil Treatment)

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