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Processes
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Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications
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Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Catalysis Enhanced Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 37341

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Olivier Monfort

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovicova 6, Mlynska Dolina, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: photochemical processes; heterogeneous photocatalysts; semiconductor oxides; (photo)Fenton; advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); water treatments; wastewater; photochemistry; iron chemistry; photoactive material; environmental applications; ferrate; titanium dioxide (TiO2)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yanlin Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
Interests: photochemistry; iron chemistry; environmental photocatalysis; fenton-like processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The most challenging task of this century is the remediation of natural compartments including water, air, and soil from contaminants released by human activities. It is also essential to produce sustainable energy to preserve the Earth. To this end, photocatalysis is one of the most promising strategies, especially by using solar-light-driven compounds. Although there are numerous scientific contributions on environmental photocatalysis, there is still a need to develop innovative and efficient photocatalysts for light energy conversion for both pollutants degradation and energy production.

In this context, this Special Issue on “Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications” aims to highlight the latest advances in environmental photocatalysis. We welcome original scientific contributions including short communications, research papers, and review articles. Submitted work should be related to photo-induced catalytic processes such as photocatalysis and photo-Fenton systems using innovative and green materials. The preparation and use of photoactive compounds for environmental purposes are the main topics of this Special Issue. Research works focused on understanding such systems (e.g., pollutant degradation pathways, water splitting, reaction mechanisms, etc.) are of high interest and fit within the scope of this Special Issue.     

In short, this Special Issue will promote fundamental and applied research that is related to (but not limited to) the following themes:

  • Green/sustainable processes involving photocatalysis;
  • Reaction mechanisms of photo-induced reactions;
  • Heterogeneous and homogeneous photocatalysts;
  • Degradation of contaminants;
  • Coupling of photochemical processes;
  • Fenton-based reactions;
  • Remediation of natural compartments;
  • Water splitting for hydrogen production;
  • Theoretical photochemistry;
  • Synthesis and design of new and green photocatalysts;
  • Analytical methods to investigate photocatalytic processes.

Dr. Olivier Monfort
Dr. Yanlin WU
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 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. Processes 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 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

  • Photocatalyst
  • Photocatalytic process
  • Photochemical process
  • Environmental applications
  • Green material
  • Sustainable process
  • Photochemistry
  • Semiconductor oxide
  • Fenton-based process

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 166 KiB  
Editorial
Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications
by Olivier Monfort and Yanlin Wu
Processes 2021, 9(11), 2080; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9112080 - 20 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2027
Abstract
Photocatalysis, especially heterogeneous photocatalysis, is one of the most investigated processes for environmental remediation [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

11 pages, 4219 KiB  
Article
Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Rhodamine B Degradation Using CdS Nanorods
by Haseeb Ullah, Eva Viglašová and Michal Galamboš
Processes 2021, 9(2), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020263 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 3975
Abstract
In this work, highly crystalline CdS nanorods (NRs) were successfully synthesized by a facile, one-step solvothermal method. The as-prepared CdS NRs powder was characterized by XRD, FESEM, Raman, PL, XPS, BET, and UV-visible techniques to evaluate the structural, morphological, and optical properties. The [...] Read more.
In this work, highly crystalline CdS nanorods (NRs) were successfully synthesized by a facile, one-step solvothermal method. The as-prepared CdS NRs powder was characterized by XRD, FESEM, Raman, PL, XPS, BET, and UV-visible techniques to evaluate the structural, morphological, and optical properties. The photocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized CdS NRs was investigated for the photodegradation of RhB dye under visible light irradiations. It has been found that CdS NRs show maximum RhB degradation efficiency of 88.4% in 120 min. The excellent photodegradation ability of the CdS NRs can be attributed to their rod-like structure together with their large surface area and surface state. The kinetic study indicated that the photodegradation process was best described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The possible mechanism for the photodegradation of RhB dye over CdS NRs was proposed in this paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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12 pages, 4067 KiB  
Article
Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Rotating Annular VUV/UV Photoreactor for Water Treatment
by Minghan Luo, Wenjie Xu, Xiaorong Kang, Keqiang Ding and Taeseop Jeong
Processes 2021, 9(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9010079 - 31 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2924
Abstract
The ultraviolet photochemical degradation process is widely recognized as a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and sustainable technology for water treatment. This study integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a photoreactive kinetic model to investigate the effects of flow characteristics on the contaminant degradation performance [...] Read more.
The ultraviolet photochemical degradation process is widely recognized as a low-cost, environmentally friendly, and sustainable technology for water treatment. This study integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and a photoreactive kinetic model to investigate the effects of flow characteristics on the contaminant degradation performance of a rotating annular photoreactor with a vacuum-UV (VUV)/UV process performed in continuous flow mode. The results demonstrated that the introduced fluid remained in intensive rotational movement inside the reactor for a wide range of inflow rates, and the rotational movement was enhanced with increasing influent speed within the studied velocity range. The CFD modeling results were consistent with the experimental abatement of methylene blue (MB), although the model slightly overestimated MB degradation because it did not fully account for the consumption of OH radicals from byproducts generated in the MB decomposition processes. The OH radical generation and contaminant degradation efficiency of the VUV/UV process showed strong correlation with the mixing level in a photoreactor, which confirmed the promising potential of the developed rotating annular VUV reactor in water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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18 pages, 2724 KiB  
Article
Degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol by Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic Acid-Modified Photo-Fenton System: Effects of Chemical Compounds Present in Natural Waters
by Wenyu Huang, Ying Huang, Shuangfei Wang, Hongfei Lin and Gilles Mailhot
Processes 2021, 9(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9010029 - 25 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2566
Abstract
This paper describes a study of the treatment of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) with an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic-acid (EDDS)-modified photo-Fenton system in ultrapure water and different natural waters. The results showed that the EDDS-modified photo-Fenton system is adequate for 2,4-DCP degradation. Compared with [...] Read more.
This paper describes a study of the treatment of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) with an ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic-acid (EDDS)-modified photo-Fenton system in ultrapure water and different natural waters. The results showed that the EDDS-modified photo-Fenton system is adequate for 2,4-DCP degradation. Compared with a medium containing a single organic pollutant, the removal of pollutants in a more complex medium consisting of two organic compounds is slower by around 25 to 50% as a function of the organic pollutant. Moreover, 2,4-DCP can be further effectively degraded in the presence of organic materials and various inorganic ions. However, the photodegradation of 2,4-DCP in different natural waters, including natural lake water, effluent from domestic sewage treatment plants, and secondary effluent from pulp and paper mill wastewaters, is inhibited. Chemical compounds present in natural waters have different influences on the degradation of 2,4-DCP by adopting the EDDS-modified photo-Fenton system. In any case, the results obtained in this work show that the EDDS-modified photo-Fenton system can effectively degrade pollutants in a natural water body, which makes it a promising technology for treating pollutants in natural water bodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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18 pages, 7796 KiB  
Article
Degradation of Direct Blue 1 through Heterogeneous Photocatalysis with TiO2 Irradiated with E-Beam
by Elvia Gallegos, Florinella Muñoz Bisesti, Katherine Vaca-Escobar, Cristian Santacruz, Lenys Fernández, Alexis Debut and Patricio J. Espinoza-Montero
Processes 2020, 8(9), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8091181 - 18 Sep 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3976
Abstract
Most dyes used in the textile industry are chemically stable and poorly biodegradable, therefore, they are persistent in the environment and difficult to degrade by conventional methods. An alternative treatment for this kind of substance is heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2, so, [...] Read more.
Most dyes used in the textile industry are chemically stable and poorly biodegradable, therefore, they are persistent in the environment and difficult to degrade by conventional methods. An alternative treatment for this kind of substance is heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2, so, in this work, it is proposed to degrade Direct Blue 1 (DB1) using microparticulate TiO2 irradiated with e-beam at three different doses: 5, 10 and 20 kGy (J/kg). The DB1 degradation was implemented in a batch reactor (DB1 initial concentration = 50 mg L−1, pH 2.5, TiO2 concentration = 200 mg L−1). We have demonstrated that the photocatalytic power of TiO2, when irradiated with e-beam (5, 10, 20 kGy), varies slightly, with minor effects on photodegradation performance. However, the dose of 10 kGy showed a slightly better result, according to the DB1 photodegradation rate constant. Adsorption process was not affected by irradiation; its isotherm was fitted to Freundlich’s mathematical model. The DB1 photodegradation rate constants, after one hour of treatment, were: 0.0661 and 0.0742 min−1 for irradiated (10 kGy) and nonirradiated TiO2, respectively. The degradation rate constant has an increase of 12.3% for irradiated TiO2. Finally, there was no evidence of mineralization in the degradation process after 60 min of treatment. According to the results, the irradiation of microparticulate TiO2 with e-beam (10 kGy) slightly improves the photodegradation rate constant of DB1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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10 pages, 2324 KiB  
Article
Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production Using Nanoparticulate WO3 as Photocatalyst and Glycerol or Ethanol as Sacrificial Agents
by Ioannis Papagiannis, Nikolaos Balis, Vassilios Dracopoulos and Panagiotis Lianos
Processes 2020, 8(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8010037 - 30 Dec 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4964
Abstract
Photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide was studied by using a cell functioning with a WO3 photoanode and an air breathing cathode made of carbon cloth with a hydrophobic layer of carbon black. The photoanode functioned in the absence of any sacrificial agent [...] Read more.
Photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide was studied by using a cell functioning with a WO3 photoanode and an air breathing cathode made of carbon cloth with a hydrophobic layer of carbon black. The photoanode functioned in the absence of any sacrificial agent by water splitting, but the produced photocurrent was doubled in the presence of glycerol or ethanol. Hydrogen peroxide production was monitored in all cases, mainly in the presence of glycerol. The presence or absence of the organic fuel affected only the obtained photocurrent. The Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen peroxide production was the same in all cases, mounting up to 74%. The duplication of the photocurrent in the presence of biomass derivatives such as glycerol or ethanol and the fact that WO3 absorbed light in a substantial range of the visible spectrum promotes the presently studied system as a sustainable source of hydrogen peroxide production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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Graphical abstract

14 pages, 5790 KiB  
Article
CoFe2O4 Nanomaterials: Effect of Annealing Temperature on Characterization, Magnetic, Photocatalytic, and Photo-Fenton Properties
by Nguyen Thi To Loan, Nguyen Thi Hien Lan, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang, Nguyen Quang Hai, Duong Thi Tu Anh, Vu Thi Hau, Lam Van Tan and Thuan Van Tran
Processes 2019, 7(12), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr7120885 - 28 Nov 2019
Cited by 97 | Viewed by 7810
Abstract
In this research, structural, magnetic properties and photocatalytic activity of cobalt ferrite spinel (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were studied. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller [...] Read more.
In this research, structural, magnetic properties and photocatalytic activity of cobalt ferrite spinel (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were studied. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis. The XRD analysis revealed the formation of the single-phase CoFe2O4 with a cubic structure that is annealed at 500–700 °C in 3 h. The optical band gap energy for CoFe2O4 was determined to be in the range of 1.57–2.03 eV. The effect on the magnetic properties of cobalt ferrites was analyzed by using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The particle size and the saturation magnetization of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles increased with increasing annealing temperature. The photocatalytic activity of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles was investigated by using rhodamine B dye under visible light. The decomposition of rhodamine B reached 90.6% after 270 min lighting with the presence of H2O2 and CF500 sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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Review

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57 pages, 7657 KiB  
Review
Binary and Ternary Vanadium Oxides: General Overview, Physical Properties, and Photochemical Processes for Environmental Applications
by Olivier Monfort and Patrícia Petrisková
Processes 2021, 9(2), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020214 - 24 Jan 2021
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 8018
Abstract
This review article is a comprehensive report on vanadium oxides which are interesting materials for environmental applications. Therefore, a general overview of vanadium and its related oxides are presented in the first two parts. Afterwards, the physical properties of binary and ternary vanadium [...] Read more.
This review article is a comprehensive report on vanadium oxides which are interesting materials for environmental applications. Therefore, a general overview of vanadium and its related oxides are presented in the first two parts. Afterwards, the physical properties of binary and ternary vanadium oxides in single and mixed valence states are described such as their structural, optical, and electronic properties. Finally, the use of these vanadium oxides in photochemical processes for environmental applications is detailed, especially for the production of hydrogen by water splitting and the degradation of organic pollutants in water using photocatalytic and photo-Fenton processes. The scientific aim of such a review is to bring a comprehensive tool to understand the photochemical processes triggered by vanadium oxide based materials where the photo-induced properties are thoroughly discussed based on the detailed description of their intrinsic properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Processes for Environmental Applications)
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