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Catalysts
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Advanced Catalysts for Wastewater Remediation Technologies
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Advanced Catalysts for Wastewater Remediation Technologies

A topical collection in Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344).

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Editors

Dr. Meng Li

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: advanced oxidation process; electrochemical oxidation; microbial electrolysis cell; PMS activation; electrochemical reduction; new pollutants degradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hongguo Zhang

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: electrochemical remediation; microbial electrolysis cell; capacitive deionization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ewa Kowalska

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis; advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); environmental purification; plasmonic nanoparticles; antimicrobial properties; visible-light-responsive materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The urgent need of innovative solutions to water contamination demands, particularly in the removal of toxic heavy metals and recalcitrant pollutants, should be addressed for the development of a sustainable future. Advanced catalytic and hybrid technologies, such as transition metal catalysis, electrochemical reduction, photocatalysis, and bioelectrochemical systems, are revolutionizing wastewater remediation. These approaches synergize high efficiency, selectivity, and sustainability, enabling the precise targeting of contaminants like heavy metals through adsorption, membrane separation, and capacitive deionization.

Recent advances in electrochemical removal strategies, including redox-active catalysts and engineered nanomaterials, have enhanced degradation kinetics while minimizing energy consumption. Meanwhile, bioelectrochemical technology bridges catalysis and microbial processes, offering eco-friendly pathways for pollutant transformation. Similarly, photocatalytic methods have shown high potential for the efficient inactivation and removal of toxic compounds, leading to their mineralization. Despite progress, challenges persist in scaling these technologies, optimizing long-term stability, and integrating multifunctional systems for complex wastewater matrices.

This Topical Collection highlights breakthroughs in catalyst/photocatalyst design, mechanistic studies, and scalable applications across pollutant removal, electrochemical reduction, and hybrid processes. We welcome research on novel materials (e.g., transition metal-based frameworks), advanced characterization techniques, and techno-economic analyses to bridge laboratory innovation and industrial deployment. Contributions addressing membrane separation selectivity, capacitive deionization efficiency, or interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged.

By fostering dialogue among chemists, engineers, and environmental scientists, this issue aims to accelerate the development of sustainable, next-generation remediation technologies.

Dr. Meng Li
Prof. Dr. Hongguo Zhang
Prof. Dr. Ewa Kowalska
Collection 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. 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 collection 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-anonymized 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

  • heavy metal removal
  • electrochemical removal
  • adsorption
  • capacitive deionization
  • bioelectrochemical technology
  • electrochemical reduction
  • membrane separation
  • photocatalysis

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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2026

Jump to: 2025

19 pages, 6342 KB  
Article
Catalyst-Assisted High-Voltage DC Discharge for the Degradation of Methylene Blue in Wastewater
by Md. Abdul Halim, M. Ahasan Habib, Shayla Haque Nazer and Ruma
Catalysts 2026, 16(8), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16080719 - 10 Aug 2026
Viewed by 209
Abstract
The high color intensity, chemical stability, and toxic persistence of textile dye wastewater form a serious environmental problem. In this work, the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using a high-voltage discharge plasma (HVDP) system has been studied, with a focus on plasma–catalyst interactions. [...] Read more.
The high color intensity, chemical stability, and toxic persistence of textile dye wastewater form a serious environmental problem. In this work, the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using a high-voltage discharge plasma (HVDP) system has been studied, with a focus on plasma–catalyst interactions. A high-voltage DC surface-discharge reactor with a point-to-plane electrode configuration was used. The positive electrode was placed in the air, and the negative electrode was placed in the dye solution. A DC voltage was applied to generate plasma discharge at the air–liquid interface. The influence of solution pH and conductivity, as well as the use of a magnetite (Fe3O4) catalyst, were systematically studied. These discharges generate a strong electric field, thereby contributing to the dye decomposition. Plasma propagation and degradation efficiency were significantly improved under the acidic conditions (pH 3). As the solution conductivity increased, the current flow also increased, but plasma chemical activity of streamer discharge decreased at higher conductivity levels. Incorporation of a magnetite catalyst led to a further enhanced decolorization performance by amplifying local electric fields and surface interactions. The highest color removal efficiency of 98.14% was obtained at optimized conditions, i.e., pH of 3, Fe3O4 dosage of 7.5 g/L, and DC voltage of 15.9 kV after 60 min. Results show that plasma-assisted degradation with magnetite catalysis is an efficient and sustainable method for treating dye-contaminated wastewater. Operational parameters, such as pH, conductivity, and catalyst use, should be optimized to maximize treatment efficiency. Full article
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2025

Jump to: 2026

12 pages, 2634 KB  
Article
Singlet Oxygen-Mediated Micropollutant Degradation Using an FePc-Modified CNT Filter via Peroxymonosulfate Activation
by Chenxin Xie, Yifan Ren and Yanbiao Liu
Catalysts 2025, 15(8), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15080747 - 5 Aug 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1571
Abstract
Herein, we rationally designed a molecular catalytic filter for effective micropollutants decontamination via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Specifically, iron phthalocanine (FePc) molecules with defined Fe–N4 coordination were immobilized onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs), forming a hybrid catalyst that integrated molecular precision with heterogeneous catalytic [...] Read more.
Herein, we rationally designed a molecular catalytic filter for effective micropollutants decontamination via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Specifically, iron phthalocanine (FePc) molecules with defined Fe–N4 coordination were immobilized onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs), forming a hybrid catalyst that integrated molecular precision with heterogeneous catalytic properties. The resulting CNT-FePc filter achieved a 98.4% removal efficiency for bisphenol A (10 ppm) in a single-pass operation system, significantly outperforming the CNT/PMS system without FePc (41.6%). Additionally, the CNT-FePc/PMS system demonstrated remarkable resistance to performance inhibition by common water matrix components. Unlike typical radical-dominated PMS activation processes, mechanistic investigations confirmed that the CNT-FePc/PMS system selectively promoted singlet oxygen (1O2) generation as the primary oxidative pathway. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that PMS exhibited stronger adsorption on FePc (−3.05 eV) compared to CNT (−2.86 eV), and that FePc effectively facilitated O–O bond elongation in PMS, thereby facilitating 1O2 generation. Additionally, seed germination assays indicated a significant reduction in the biotoxicity of the treated effluents. Overall, this work presents a catalyst design strategy that merges molecular-level coordination chemistry with practical flow-through configuration, enabling rapid, selective, and environmentally benign micropollutant removal. Full article
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13 pages, 2754 KB  
Article
Hollow Porous Organic Nanosphere-Supported ZnO Composites for Photodegradation of Crystal Violet
by Yiqian Luo, Wanqi Zhang, Maoling Pan, Hui Zhang and Kun Huang
Catalysts 2025, 15(6), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15060529 - 27 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
In this work, we have reported a simple synthesis method for a hollow porous organic nanosphere-supported ZnO composite photocatalyst (HPON@ZnO) through a combination of a hyper-crosslinking-mediated self-assembly method and a “ship-in-bottle” strategy. The obtained HPON@ZnO possesses a large specific surface area and hierarchically [...] Read more.
In this work, we have reported a simple synthesis method for a hollow porous organic nanosphere-supported ZnO composite photocatalyst (HPON@ZnO) through a combination of a hyper-crosslinking-mediated self-assembly method and a “ship-in-bottle” strategy. The obtained HPON@ZnO possesses a large specific surface area and hierarchically porous structures, which exhibited exceptionally high catalytic activity in the adsorption and degradation of crystal violet, with the reaction proceeding under mild conditions. Additionally, the catalyst demonstrated degradation activity towards other dyes and featured a good stability and recyclability. This simple strategy provides a new approach for the large-scale synthesis of efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts, and offers an effective dye wastewater treatment technique. Full article
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