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Processes
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Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present...
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Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present in Water

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2026) | Viewed by 14140

Editors

Dr. Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Unidad Regional Los Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAdeO), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, Mexico
Interests: nanotechnology; nanoparticles; green synthesis; photocatalysis
Prof. Dr. Priscy Alfredo Luque Morales

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ingeniería Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada 22860, Mexico
Interests: water treatment; photocatalysis; catalysts; nanomaterials; environmental sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Horacio Edgardo Garrafa-Gálvez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ingeniería Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, Mexico
Interests: nanoparticles; green synthetics; semiconductors; ambient purification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water pollution is a serious global problem, and it worsens with each passing day. Due to human activities, various pollutants are discarded into water daily, creating significant health risks for people and ecosystems. Therefore, it is essential to find alternatives to address this issue. Among the various methods employed for water treatment, photocatalysis is a promising technology. It is a process that uses light energy and a photocatalyst to trigger chemical reactions that break down pollutants into simpler molecules, reducing toxicity and facilitating their degradation in water. Consequently, it is crucial to continue exploring advances in the development of new photocatalytic materials to enhance the performance of pollutant degradation in water and to provide a sustainable solution to this issue.

This Special Issue on “Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants in Water” seeks high-quality papers focused on the use of novel photocatalysts and the degradation of contaminants in water through photocatalysis. Topics include, but are not limited to, methods and/or applications in the following areas:

  • The synthesis, characterization, and application of novel photocatalysts (metals, metal oxides, semiconductors, non-metal oxides, and others);
  • Nanotechnology and its use in photocatalysis;
  • Sustainability and the degradation of various contaminants through photocatalysis (pesticides, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and others);
  • The application of photocatalytic processes at an industrial scale;
  • Other related topics.

This Special Issue addresses the critical environmental problem of water pollution, seeking practical alternatives and solutions in this field.

Dr. Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas
Prof. Dr. Priscy Alfredo Luque Morales
Dr. Horacio Edgardo Garrafa-Gálvez
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes 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 2400 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
  • synthesis and characterization
  • photocatalysts
  • water pollutants
  • water treatment
  • environmental applications
  • sustainability

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6457 KB  
Article
Design of Continuous Fixed Plate Photo-Fenton Reactor Based on Fe3O4/TiO2@Al2SiO5 Fiber Board Photocatalyst and Application in Tetracycline Hydrochloride Degradation
by Xiaodan Yu, Yang Cui and Qiancheng Ji
Processes 2025, 13(12), 3824; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123824 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 738
Abstract
To address the limitations of traditional photo-Fenton reactions in antibiotic wastewater treatment, this study designed a continuous flat-plate photo-Fenton reactor based on the Fe3O4/TiO2@Al2SiO5 fiberboard photocatalyst and applied it to the degradation of tetracycline [...] Read more.
To address the limitations of traditional photo-Fenton reactions in antibiotic wastewater treatment, this study designed a continuous flat-plate photo-Fenton reactor based on the Fe3O4/TiO2@Al2SiO5 fiberboard photocatalyst and applied it to the degradation of tetracycline HCl (TCH). The supported catalyst Fe3O4/TiO2@Al2SiO5 was prepared via a calcination method, using the Al2SiO5 fiberboard as the carrier. This not only effectively addresses the issue of catalyst recovery but also enhances the dispersion and stability of the Fe3O4/TiO2 catalyst as a support. Moreover, the catalyst mainly exhibited an amorphous structure. TiO2 and Fe3O4 were successfully loaded onto the surface of the carrier. The operating parameters of the reactor were systematically optimized, and the optimal conditions were determined as follows: TCH influent concentration of 50 mg/L, hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 120 min, initial pH of 4.5, H2O2 dosage of 10 mmol/L, and ultraviolet (UV) light intensity of 2.36 kW/m3. Under these conditions, the TCH removal efficiency could reach over 90%. Active species trapping experiments indicated that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were the main active substances responsible for TCH degradation. With the assistance of HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS analyses, 19 types of degradation intermediates were identified. It was proposed that the TCH degradation pathway mainly included •OH-mediated hydroxylation addition reactions and demethylation reactions initiated by •OH and h+. The toxicity assessment showed that the toxicity of the degradation intermediates gradually decreased with the progress of the reaction. This reactor features high efficiency, stability, and easy operation, providing a feasible solution for the large-scale treatment of antibiotic wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present in Water)
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21 pages, 2582 KB  
Article
Photolysis, Photocatalysis, and Sorption of Caffeine in Aqueous Media in the Presence of Chitosan Membrane and Chitosan/TiO2 Composite Membrane
by Juliana Prando, Ingrid Luíza Reinehr, Luiz Jardel Visioli, Alexandre Tadeu Paulino and Heveline Enzweiler
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2439; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082439 - 1 Aug 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1981
Abstract
Sorption and advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) are potential strategies for the removal of organic compounds, such as caffeine, from aqueous media. Such strategies tend to be more promising when combined with biopolymeric membranes as sorbents and photocatalyst supports. Therefore, the aim of the [...] Read more.
Sorption and advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) are potential strategies for the removal of organic compounds, such as caffeine, from aqueous media. Such strategies tend to be more promising when combined with biopolymeric membranes as sorbents and photocatalyst supports. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate sorption and AOP parameters in the performance of chitosan membranes and chitosan/TiO2 composite membranes in individual and hybrid systems involving the photolysis, photocatalysis, and sorption of caffeine. Caffeine degradation by photolysis was 19.51 ± 1.14, 28.61 ± 0.05, and 30.64 ± 6.32%, whereas caffeine degradation by photocatalysis with catalytic membrane was 18.33 ± 2.20, 20.83 ± 1.49, and 31.41 ± 3.08% at pH 6, 7, and 8, respectively. In contrast, photocatalysis with the dispersed catalyst achieved degradation of 93.56 ± 2.12, 36.42 ± 2.59, and 31.41 ± 1.07% at pH 6, 7, and 8, respectively. These results indicate that ions present in the buffer solutions affect the net electrical charge on the surface of the composite biomaterial with the change in pH variation, occupying active sorption sites in the structure of the biomaterial, which was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning thermogravimetry, and X-ray diffraction. Thus, it is verified that in a combined process of caffeine removal under UV irradiation and use of chitosan/TiO2 composite membranes in phosphate-buffered medium, the photolysis mechanism is predominant, with little or no contribution from sorption, and that the TiO2 catalyst promotes a significant reduction in the percentage of pollutant in the medium only when used dispersed and at low pH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present in Water)
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16 pages, 4716 KB  
Article
Photocatalytic Degradation of Four Organic Dyes Present in Water Using ZnO Nanoparticles Synthesized with Green Synthesis Using Ambrosia ambrosioides Leaf and Root Extract
by Martin Medina-Acosta, Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas, Horacio E. Garrafa-Gálvez, Caree A. Garcia-Maro, Carlos A. Rosas-Casarez, Eder Lugo-Medina, Priscy A. Luque-Morales and Carlos A. Soto-Robles
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2456; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112456 - 6 Nov 2024
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4051
Abstract
Currently, several organic dyes found in wastewater cause severe contamination problems for flora, fauna, and people in direct contact with them. This research proposes an alternative for the degradation of polluting dyes using ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by an ecological route using leaf [...] Read more.
Currently, several organic dyes found in wastewater cause severe contamination problems for flora, fauna, and people in direct contact with them. This research proposes an alternative for the degradation of polluting dyes using ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by an ecological route using leaf and root extracts of Ambrosia ambrosioides as a reducing agent (with a weight/volume ratio = 4%). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the morphology, showing an agglomeration of cluster-shaped NPs. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), different sizes of NPs ranging from 5 to 56 nm were observed for both synthesized NPs. The composition and structure of the nanomaterial were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), showing as a result that the NPs have a wurtzite-like crystalline structure with crystallite sizes around 32–37 nm for both samples. Additionally, the bandgap of the NPs was calculated using Ultraviolet Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis), determining values of 2.82 and 2.70 eV for the NPs synthesized with leaf and root, respectively. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the nanoparticles contained an organic part after the green synthesis process, with high thermal stability for both samples. Photocatalytic analysis showed that these nanomaterials can degrade four dyes under UV irradiation, reaching 90% degradation for methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR) at 60, 100 and 60 min, respectively, while for methyl red (MR) almost 90% degradation was achieved at 140 min of UV irradiation. These results demonstrate that it is effective to use Ambrosia ambrosioides root and leaf extracts as a reducing agent for the formation of ZnO NPs, also evidencing their favorable application in the photocatalytic degradation of these four organic dyes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present in Water)
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Review

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17 pages, 971 KB  
Review
University of Oslo-66: A Versatile Zr-Based MOF for Water Purification Through Adsorption and Photocatalysis
by Lei Chen, Wenbo Pan, Ke Li, Miaomiao Chen, Pan Li, Yu Liu, Zeyu Li and Hai Lu
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041133 - 9 Apr 2025
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6501
Abstract
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant attention for water purification in recent years. In particular, UiO-66 (a member of the UiO-MOF family, developed at the University of Oslo) has emerged as a promising water purification material. UiO-66 exhibits excellent adsorption through electrostatic interaction, [...] Read more.
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant attention for water purification in recent years. In particular, UiO-66 (a member of the UiO-MOF family, developed at the University of Oslo) has emerged as a promising water purification material. UiO-66 exhibits excellent adsorption through electrostatic interaction, π–π stacking and Lewis acid–base coordination mechanisms. The photocatalytic degradation property was enhanced through metal doping, composite with semiconductor materials, defect engineering, etc., and the removal efficiency of pollutants was significantly improved. This review systematically describes the structure of UiO-66 and the synthesis methods of UiO-66, including solvothermal, microwave-assisted, mechanized and electrochemical methods, as well as the application of UiO-66 in the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of various pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Photocatalysis and Photodegradation of Various Contaminants Present in Water)
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