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Research and Application of Novel Adsorption and Catalytic Materials in Water Pollution Control

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 319

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Key Laboratory of Water Quality Science and Water Environment Recovery Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: resource utilization of iron and manganese sludge; water purification of iron-, manganese-, ammonia nitrogen- and arsenic-containing water sources
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With industrial wastewater, heavy metal pollution, and agricultural discharges leading to the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems and directly threatening human health, the global water pollution situation is severe. Statistics show that 50% of global child deaths are linked to polluted water sources, and 2221 pollutants, of which 20 are confirmed to be carcinogenic, have been detected in water bodies. Adsorption and catalytic materials have become key technologies in water pollution control due to their efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reusability. For example, porous carbon materials adsorb pollutants through surface active sites and are resistant to acids and alkalis without secondary pollution, while heavy metal adsorption materials use functional groups to chelate ions, reducing heavy metal concentrations in wastewater to extremely low levels. The development of novel materials holds strategic significance for achieving deep water purification and promoting green technological innovation.

This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge research and engineering applications of novel adsorption and catalytic materials including, but not limited to, the following directions:

  • Novel Adsorption Materials‌: Including functionalized biomass adsorbents, waste-derived adsorbents, and nanoporous materials, and emphasizing selective adsorption mechanisms and regeneration technologies for heavy metals and organic pollutants.
  • Novel Catalytic Materials‌: Including heterogeneous catalysts such as metal oxides (TiO₂ or Al₂O₃), supported catalysts (Cu/Al₂O₃), and carbon-based materials (activated carbon and graphene), which efficiently generate reactive oxygen radicals through solid-state surface active sites, combining stability with recyclability.
  • Technology Integration and Industrialization‌: Large-scale application cases of materials in wastewater treatment and the design of AI-coupled smart adsorption and catalytic systems to drive the transformation of technologies from laboratories to real water bodies.

Dr. Huiping Zeng
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • adsorption
  • catalysis
  • wastewater
  • heavy metal
  • organic pollutants

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 4886 KB  
Article
Hydrothermal Modification of Coal Gangue for Cd2+ and Pb2+ Adsorption: Modelling and Optimization of Process Parameters by Response Surface Methodology
by Xiaolong Wang, Nan Guo, Jie Fang and Shoubiao Li
Water 2025, 17(23), 3441; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233441 - 4 Dec 2025
Viewed by 179
Abstract
Hydrothermal treatment has been demonstrated as a highly effective approach to enhance the adsorption properties of coal gangue (CG) for Cd2+ and Pb2+. This study evaluated the influence of NaOH concentration (X1), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide dosage (X [...] Read more.
Hydrothermal treatment has been demonstrated as a highly effective approach to enhance the adsorption properties of coal gangue (CG) for Cd2+ and Pb2+. This study evaluated the influence of NaOH concentration (X1), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide dosage (X2) and hydrothermal duration (X3) on the modified CG’s composition and its adsorption capacities for Cd2+ (qe,Cd) and Pb2+ (qe,Pb). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to explore the interactions among these variables, while XRD, SEM-EDX, FTIR and XPS techniques were employed to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. The results reveal that hydrothermal treatment facilitated the formation of zeolite materials in the modified CG samples. Optimal conditions for Cd2+ adsorption (qe,Cd = 58.4 mg/g) were determined as X1 = 2.9 mol/L, X2 = 1 g and X3 = 16.8 h. For Pb2+ adsorption (qe,Pb = 233.6 mg/g), the optimal conditions were X1 = 2.4 mol/L, X2 = 0.57 g and X3 = 20.7 h. RSM analysis indicated that X3 significantly influences qe,Cd with the appropriate range of 14–18 h, while all three factors (X1, X2 and X3) notably affect qe,Pb, with suitable ranges identified as follows: X1 = 1.8–3 mol/L, X2 = 0.4–0.8 g and X3 = 16–24 h. The primary adsorption mechanism for Cd2+ and Pb2+ was determined to be ion exchange, with additional Pb2+ removal achieved through the precipitation of cerussite (PbCO3). Full article
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