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Molecules
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Determination, Adsorption and Degradation Mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants
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Determination, Adsorption and Degradation Mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1741

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alina Catrinel Ion

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnologies, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu Str., 011061 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: environmental pollutants; remediation; degradation mechanisms; adsorbent materials; bioremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollutants encompass a wide range of harmful substances that pose significant threats to ecosystems and human health. These pollutants include heavy metals, organic compounds, and microplastics, each exhibiting complex behaviors and interactions in various environmental settings. Their detection, remediation, and understanding of environmental impacts present substantial scientific challenges.

In this Special Issue, we invite original research articles and comprehensive reviews that explore the methodologies for the determination, adsorption, and degradation mechanisms of environmental pollutants. We encourage studies that investigate the interactions between pollutants and various adsorbent materials, including novel nanomaterials and metal–organic frameworks, as well as traditional adsorbents. Furthermore, contributions focusing on the biochemical pathways involved in pollutant degradation are particularly welcomed, as they are crucial for developing effective bioremediation strategies.

This Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in environmental science, chemistry, and engineering. By sharing cutting-edge findings and innovative approaches, we hope to enhance the collective understanding of pollutant behavior and devise sustainable solutions for pollution mitigation.

Prof. Dr. Alina Catrinel Ion
Guest Editor

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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • environmental pollutants
  • adsorption mechanisms
  • degradation pathways
  • analytical techniques
  • nanomaterials
  • heavy metals
  • organic contaminants

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2892 KiB  
Article
Electrochemical Degradation of Venlafaxine on Platinum Electrodes: Identification of Transformation Products by LC-MS/MS and In Silico Ecotoxicity Assessment
by Angelica R. Zizzamia, Veronica Pasquariello, Filomena Lelario, Carmen Tesoro and Rosanna Ciriello
Molecules 2025, 30(9), 1881; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30091881 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 295
Abstract
Antidepressants are emerging contaminants that have raised global concern due to their abuse. Venlafaxine (VFX), a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, can cause adverse and potentially toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) are gaining attention as promising degradation techniques [...] Read more.
Antidepressants are emerging contaminants that have raised global concern due to their abuse. Venlafaxine (VFX), a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, can cause adverse and potentially toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) are gaining attention as promising degradation techniques for a variety of drugs. EAOP methods proposed for VFX degradation mainly utilize boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, characterized by low background current and high oxygen overpotential. However, challenges arise, including delamination from the substrate, difficulties in scaling up, and limited service life. In this study, platinum was employed as an anode for the galvanostatic degradation of VFX, due to its stability and well-established surface cleaning procedure, which ensured high reproducibility. A 0.1 M Na2SO4 solution at pH 9 was used as the supporting electrolyte, and a current density of 25 mA/cm2 was applied. After 7 h, a degradation efficiency of 94% was achieved for a 25 ppm VFX solution. The hydroxyl and sulfate radicals generated in the electrochemical system were the active species responsible for VFX degradation, which followed a first-order kinetic model with a rate constant of 0.0084 min−1. The main degradation intermediates were identified through LC-MS, including two isomers with a nominal m/z of 276 and three isomers with a nominal m/z of 294. The toxicity of the VFX degradation products was assessed by an in silico prediction model. This evaluation confirmed the sustainability of the developed method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determination, Adsorption and Degradation Mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants)
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13 pages, 1851 KiB  
Article
Detection of VOCs and Biogenic Amines Through Luminescent Zn–Salen Complex-Tethered Pyrenyl Arms
by Roberta Puglisi, Caterina Testa, Sara Scuderi, Valentina Greco, Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto, Manuel Petroselli and Andrea Pappalardo
Molecules 2024, 29(23), 5796; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235796 - 8 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1152
Abstract
Amines are produced through various industrial and biological processes, contributing significantly to atmospheric pollution, particularly in the troposphere. Moreover, amine-related pollution raises global concerns due to its detrimental effects on human health, environmental quality, and the preservation of animal species. Low-molecular-weight volatile amines, [...] Read more.
Amines are produced through various industrial and biological processes, contributing significantly to atmospheric pollution, particularly in the troposphere. Moreover, amine-related pollution raises global concerns due to its detrimental effects on human health, environmental quality, and the preservation of animal species. Low-molecular-weight volatile amines, categorized as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are present in the atmosphere, and they represent the main cause of air pollution. Biogenic amines, resulting from the natural decarboxylation of amino acids, are released into the environment from both natural and industrial sources. Several methods have been developed so far to detect amines in the environment. In this study, we present a novel fluorescent receptor based on a Zn–Salen complex, functionalized with pyrenyl moieties and a chiral diamine bridge, to enhance its affinity for a broad range of amines. Fluorescence titrations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal and explain the high binding affinity of this receptor toward selected amines, demonstrating its potential as an effective tool for amine detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Determination, Adsorption and Degradation Mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants)
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