Three-dimensional biogenic C-doped Bi2MoO6/In2O3-ZnO Z-scheme heterojunctions derived from a layered precursor

Novel 3D biogenic C-doped Bi_2 MoO_6/In_2O_3-ZnO Z-scheme heterojunctions were synthesized for the first time, using cotton fiber as template. The as-prepared samples showed excellent adsorption and photodegradation performance toward the hazardous antibiotic doxycycline under simulated sunlight irradiation. The morphology, phase composition and in situ carbon doping could be precisely controlled by adjusting processing parameters. The carbon doping in Bi_2 MoO_6/In_2O_3-ZnO was derived from the cotton template, and the carbon content could be varied in the range 0.9–4.4 wt.% via controlling the heat treatment temperature. The sample with Bi_2 MoO_6/In_2O_3-ZnO molar ratio of 1:2 and carbon content of1.1 wt.% exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity toward doxycycline degradation,which was 3.6 and 4.3 times higher than those of pure Bi_2 MoO_6 and Zn In Al-CLDH(calcined layered double hydroxides), respectively. It is believed that the Z-scheme heterojunction with C-doping, the 3D hierarchically micro–meso–macro porous structure, as well as the high adsorption capacity, contributed significantly to the enhanced photocatalytic activity.     

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of diuron on zinc oxide: Influence of surface-dependent adsorption on kinetics, degradation pathway, and toxicity of intermediates

Heterogeneous photocatalytic reaction has been generally applied for degradation of toxic contaminants. Degradations of a compound using the same kind of catalyst that was synthesized differently are commonly found in literature. However, the reported degradation intermediates are normally inconsistent. This issue is especially important for the degradation of toxic compounds because intermediates may be more toxic than their parent compounds and understanding the reason is necessary if appropriate catalysts are to be designed. This work systematically compares the photocatalytic degradation of diuron, a toxic recalcitrant herbicide, on two forms of zinc oxide (ZnO), i.e., conventional particles with zinc- and oxygen-terminated polar surfaces as the dominating planes, and nanorods with mixed-terminated nonpolar surfaces. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that both the rate of reaction and the degradation pathway depend on the adsorption configuration of diuron onto the surface. Diuron molecules adsorb in different alignments on the two surfaces, contributing to the formation of different degradation intermediates. Both the aliphatic and aromatic sides of diuron adsorb on the polar surfaces simultaneously, leading to an attack by hydroxyl radicals from both ends. On the other hand, on the mixed-terminated surface, only the aliphatic part adsorbs and is degraded. The exposed surface is therefore the key factor controlling the degradation pathway. For diuron degradation on ZnO, a catalyst confined to mixed-terminated surfaces, i.e., ZnO nanorods, is more desirable, as it avoids the formation of intermediates with potent phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity.     

Photocatalytic removal of nitrogen oxides via titanium dioxide

We studied the removal of nitrogen oxides pollutants via TiO₂ Degussa P25 powder by photocatalysis. Parameters such as mass of catalyst, geometric irradiated surface, catalyst morphology, and thermal treatment were tested to explain the photocatalytic concentration decrease of nitrogen oxides. According to our working conditions, the conversion rates increased until an optimal value of the TiO₂ weight, 35% of NO concentration and around 20% of NOx, was decomposed by the photocatalysis. The NOx removal increased proportionally with the irradiated geometric surface. The structural transformation of anatase to rutile performed by thermal treatment involved the decrease of the photocatalytic activity.     

Dichlorvos degradation studied by 31P-NMR

We studied the hydrolysis and TiO₂ photocatalysis of the pesticide dichlorvos at pH 2.6–9 using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR). We found that the hydrolysis of dichlorvos led to the formation of dimethyl phosphate at pH 5.6–9. On the other hand, TiO₂ photocatalysis decomposed dichlorvos into dimethyl phosphate, which further reacted to form monomethyl phosphate at pH 2.6 and 9. Monomethylphosphate was hydrolysed into phosphate at pH 2.6. ³¹P NMR is therefore a promising tool to study the degradation of organophosphorus pesticides.     

Comparative studies of the Fe–UV, H2O2–UV, TiO2–UV/vis systems for the decolorization of a textile dye X-3B in water

The degradation of a common textile dye, Reactive-brilliant red X-3B, by several advanced oxidation technologies was studied in an air-saturated aqueous solution. The dye was resistant to the UV illumination (wavelength λ  320 nm), but was decolorized when one of Fe³⁺, H₂O₂ and TiO₂ components was present. The decolorization rate was observed to be quite different for each system, and the relative order evaluated under comparable conditions followed the order of Fe²⁺–H₂O₂–UV  Fe²⁺–H₂O₂ > Fe³⁺–H₂O₂–UV > Fe³⁺–H₂O₂ > Fe³⁺–TiO₂–UV > TiO₂–UV > Fe³⁺–UV > TiO₂–visible light (λ  450 nm) > H₂O₂–UV > Fe²⁺–UV. The mechanism for each process is discussed, and linked together for understanding the observed differences in reactivity.     

PTFE/TiO_2复合膜光催化降解水中罗丹明B研究

以P25 TiO_2为催化剂、聚四氟乙烯乳液(PTFE)为粘结剂,采用辊压法制备了PTFE/TiO_2复合膜催化剂,并对其进行了SEM和XRD表征。结果表明:TiO_2与PTFE乳液的质量比为4:1时其表面最为平整且分布着均匀的空隙。此外,PTFE的引入并没有改变TiO_2的晶相结构与衍射峰强度。另外,随着光照时间的延长,PTFE/TiO_2复合膜催化表面·OH自由基产生量呈线性增加,且Rh B分子在553 nm处特征吸收峰强度逐渐降低。经过150 min光照后,Rh B的光催化降解率达到87%。连续重复使用14次之后,PTFE/TiO_2复合催化膜的光催化效率仅下降2%左右,这表明其可能在废水深度处理领域得到实用化应用。     

2,2-二氯乙烯基二甲基磷酸酯在TiO2/H2O界面上光催化降解

实验研究了２,２－二氯乙烯基二甲基磷酸酯在ＴｉＯ２／Ｈ２Ｏ界面上光催化降解的最适空气通入量,初始ＰＨ值, 不同浓度的调变性助催经剂Ｆｅ＾３＋、Ａｇ＾＋在供Ｏ２条件下对ＴｉＯ２光催化降解有机磷速率的影响。     

Response of bioaerosol cells to photocatalytic inactivation with ZnO and TiO2 impregnated onto Perlite and Poraver carriers

•ZnO/Perlite inactivated 72% of bioaerosols in continuous gas phase. •TiO₂ triggered the highest level of cytotoxicity with 95% dead cells onto Poraver. •Inactivation mechanism occurred by membrane damage, morphological changes and lysis. •ZnO/Poraver showed null inactivation of bioaerosols. •Catalysts losses at the outlet of the photoreactor for all systems were negligible. Bioaerosols are airborne microorganisms that cause infectious sickness, respiratory and chronic health issues. They have become a latent threat, particularly in indoor environment. Photocatalysis is a promising process to inactivate completely bioaerosols from air. However, in systems treating a continuous air flow, catalysts can be partially lost in the gaseous effluent. To avoid such phenomenon, supporting materials can be used to fix catalysts. In the present work, four photocatalytic systems using Perlite or Poraver glass beads impregnated with ZnO or TiO₂ were tested. The inactivation mechanism of bioaerosols and the cytotoxic effect of the catalysts to bioaerosols were studied. The plug flow photocatalytic reactor treated a bioaerosol flow of 460×1 0⁶ cells/m³_air with a residence time of 5.7 s. Flow Cytometry (FC) was used to quantify and characterize bioaerosols in terms of dead, injured and live cells. The most efficient system was ZnO/Perlite with 72% inactivation of bioaerosols, maintaining such inactivation during 7.5 h due to the higher water retention capacity of Perlite (2.8 mL/g_Perlite) in comparison with Poraver (1.5 mL/g_Perlite). However, a global balance showed that TiO₂/Poraver system triggered the highest level of cytotoxicity to bioaerosols retained on the support after 96 h with 95% of dead cells. SEM and FC analyses showed that the mechanism of inactivation with ZnO was based on membrane damage, morphological cell changes and cell lysis; whereas only membrane damage and cell lysis were involved with TiO₂. Overall, results highlighted that photocatalytic technologies can completely inactivate bioaerosols in indoor environments.     

Visible light photocatalytic bismuth oxide coatings are effective at suppressing aquatic cyanobacteria and degrading free-floating genomic DNA

Access to safe drinking water free from microbial pollution is an issue of global concern. The use of photocatalytic thin films in water treatment has focused on titanium dioxide, which requires UV-activation, proving a potential barrier to upscaling and implementation in the real world. Visible-light-activated photocatalytic thin films, such as bismuth oxide, have recently been shown to have antimicrobial properties. However, more understanding of the photocatalytic effect on the microbial population in water is required. Glass beads coated with bismuth oxide were incubated with either Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena sp. or free-floating genomic DNA. The presence of bismuth oxide-coated glass beads was able to rapidly stop a population of cyanobacteria from increasing. The coated beads were also able to degrade genomic DNA. Leachate from the beads showed no increase in toxicity against human liver cells. This data demonstrates the efficacy of bismuth oxide-coated glass beads for controlling potentially dangerous cyanobacterial populations, whilst potentially reducing the amount of free-floating genomic DNA (an essential issue in the face of antimicrobial resistance) – all of which should be essential considerations in emerging water treatment technologies.