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Catalysts
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Advanced Catalytic Processes for Wastewater Treatment
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Advanced Catalytic Processes for Wastewater Treatment

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 3137

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dionissios Mantzavinos

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, University Campus, Caratheodory 1, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: wastewater treatment technologies; advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) (process integration, kinetics and mechanisms, transformation byproducts and properties and reaction networks, modeling and optimization, scale-up); industrial wastewater treatment and valorization (olive oil production, edible olives, textiles, cotton processing, wineries, leachates); emerging and persistent micro-pollutants in the water cycle (pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides); inactivation of waterborne pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Athanasia Petala

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Guest Editor
Department of Environment, Ionian University, M. Minotou-Giannopoulou Street, Panagoula, 29100 Zakynthos, Greece
Interests: advanced oxidation processes; heterogeneous catalysis; environmental engineering; photocatalysis; synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for environmental applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Olga Arvaniti

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Development, Agri-Food, Natural Resources Management, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Psachna Evia, 34400 Athens, Greece
Interests: environmental analytical chemistry; environmental science and technology; laboratory application of different biological and physicochemical processes; advanced oxidation processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced catalytic processes play a crucial role in wastewater treatment by facilitating the removal of various contaminants and pollutants. These processes utilize catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions, leading to the degradation or transformation of harmful substances into less harmful or non-toxic compounds.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of advanced catalytic wastewater management and treatment, including, but not limited to, the following areas:

  • Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs): AOPs involve the generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH) to oxidize organic pollutants present in wastewater;
  • Biological catalysis: biological processes employ enzymes or microorganisms as catalysts to degrade organic pollutants in wastewater;
  • Catalytic reduction: catalytic reduction involves the use of catalysts to promote reduction reactions that convert toxic pollutants into less harmful forms;
  • Adsorption processes: although not strictly catalytic, adsorption processes are often used in combination with catalytic methods for wastewater treatment.

The choice of catalytic process depends on the nature of the contaminants, the composition of the wastewater, and the desired treatment objectives. Additionally, continuous research and development in catalytic materials and processes are essential to improve treatment efficiency and develop more sustainable wastewater treatment solutions.

Prof. Dr. Dionissios Mantzavinos
Dr. Athanasia Petala
Dr. Olga Arvaniti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net 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. Catalysts 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 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

  • non-biodegradable wastewater
  • emerging contaminants
  • wastewater treatment
  • advanced catalytic processes
  • advanced oxidation processes
  • biological catalysis
  • catalytic reduction
  • adsorption processes

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4008 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Photodegradation of Acetaminophen Using Efficient ZnO-NiO Nanofibers
by Hassan E. Gomaa, Heba H. El-Maghrabi, Fatma A. Gomaa, Patrice Raynaud and Amr A. Nada
Catalysts 2024, 14(7), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14070403 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 387
Abstract
The increasing presence of pharmaceutical pollutants, such as acetaminophen, in water bodies poses a significant environmental challenge due to their persistence and potential toxicity. This study investigated the enhanced photodegradation of acetaminophen using ZnO-NiO nanofibers as superior photocatalysts. The nanofibers synthesized with varying [...] Read more.
The increasing presence of pharmaceutical pollutants, such as acetaminophen, in water bodies poses a significant environmental challenge due to their persistence and potential toxicity. This study investigated the enhanced photodegradation of acetaminophen using ZnO-NiO nanofibers as superior photocatalysts. The nanofibers synthesized with varying NiO contents (designated as ZN0.5, ZN1, ZN1.5, and ZN2), were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, FTIR, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to elucidate their structural, morphological, and optical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the nanofibers exhibit high thermal stability, with major weight loss attributed to the decomposition of the polymer matrix and residual organics. The BET analysis revealed that the specific surface area remains stable after increasing the NiO content up to a certain ratio. This stability correlates with the enhanced photocatalytic performance due to increased light absorption and improved charge separation. The diffuse reflectance spectra and Kubelka–Munk plots demonstrated a reduction in bandgap energy with higher NiO content, facilitating greater visible light absorption. Photocatalytic experiments under visible light irradiation, in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), showed that the ZN1.5 nanofibers achieved the highest acetaminophen degradation rate, i.e., 92%, within 3 h. Mechanistic studies, supported by radical trap** experiments, revealed that the improved photocatalytic efficiency is due to the synergistic effects of ZnO and NiO heterojunctions, which enhance charge separation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. This research highlights the potential of ZnO-NiO nanofibers as effective photocatalysts for the degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants. The findings demonstrate that optimizing the composition and structure of nanofibers can significantly improve their environmental remediation capabilities, providing a promising solution for sustainable water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Catalytic Processes for Wastewater Treatment)
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17 pages, 6187 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Electrode-Enhanced Ozone Catalytic Oxidation for Thiamethoxam Wastewater Treatment: Performance, Kinetics, and Pathway
by Weijie Zhou, Jibo **ao, **ang Jiang, Jianchao Su, Shuyi Chu, **ao Ma and Jun Li
Catalysts 2024, 14(4), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14040245 - 7 Apr 2024
Viewed by 928
Abstract
Thiamethoxam is a second-generation neonicotinoid pesticide that is used worldwide. In this study, a three-dimensional electrode-enhanced ozone catalytic oxidation system (3DE-GAC-O3) was constructed to pretreat thiamethoxam wastewater, with granular active carbon as the particle electrode. The effects of catalytic oxidation time, [...] Read more.
Thiamethoxam is a second-generation neonicotinoid pesticide that is used worldwide. In this study, a three-dimensional electrode-enhanced ozone catalytic oxidation system (3DE-GAC-O3) was constructed to pretreat thiamethoxam wastewater, with granular active carbon as the particle electrode. The effects of catalytic oxidation time, current density, ozone concentration, initial thiamethoxam concentration, pH, and particle electrode dosage on thiamethoxam degradation were investigated. A response surface method based on the Box–Behnken design was employed to optimize the 3DE-GAC-O3 process. The results revealed that the 3DE-GAC-O3 system exhibited higher efficiency compared with the 3D electrode method, ozone catalytic oxidation, or 2DE-O3. The optimal operating conditions included a particle electrode dosage, ozone concentration, current density, solution pH, catalytic oxidation time, and initial thiamethoxam concentration of 18 g/dm3, 12 g/h, 25 A/m2, 7, 300 min, and 500 mg/dm3, respectively. The corresponding chemical oxygen demand removal rate reached 93.86 ± 0.95%. Thiamethoxam degradation followed a second-order reaction kinetics equation, and the rate constant decreased with increasing the initial thiamethoxam concentration. Free-radical quenching experiments indicated that both O2∙− and ∙OH were present within the 3DE-GAC-O3 system, with ∙OH being the predominant species. A GC-MS analysis revealed the formation of several intermediate products, which were characterized based on the mass fragmentation pattern. Additionally, a probable degradation pathway for thiamethoxam was proposed. Therefore, 3DE-GAC-O3 is an efficient method for the pretreatment of thiamethoxam wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Catalytic Processes for Wastewater Treatment)
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20 pages, 4036 KiB  
Article
Persulfate Activation Using Biochar from Pomegranate Peel for the Degradation of Antihypertensive Losartan in Water: The Effects of Pyrolysis Temperature, Operational Parameters, and a Continuous Flow Reactor
by Alexandra A. Ioannidi, Aikaterini Frigana, John Vakros, Zacharias Frontistis and Dionissios Mantzavinos
Catalysts 2024, 14(2), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal14020127 - 6 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1213
Abstract
Biochar derived from pomegranate peel at different pyrolysis temperatures (450, 600, and 850 °C) was synthesized and characterized by BET, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDX. Its catalytic efficiency in the degradation of the antihypertensive losartan (LOS) in the presence of sodium persulfate was examined. [...] Read more.
Biochar derived from pomegranate peel at different pyrolysis temperatures (450, 600, and 850 °C) was synthesized and characterized by BET, XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDX. Its catalytic efficiency in the degradation of the antihypertensive losartan (LOS) in the presence of sodium persulfate was examined. The biochar pyrolyzed at 850 °C exhibited higher catalytic activity, which was correlated with the greater surface area and higher concentration of minerals on its surface. Interestingly, despite adsorption being favored at alkaline pH, pH 3 showed the highest LOS degradation. LOS decomposition followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The addition of persulfate significantly increased LOS reduction, while the presence of inorganic and organic water matrix constituents such as sodium chloride, bicarbonate, and humic acid inhibited the oxidation. Experiments conducted with radical scavengers revealed that both hydroxyl and sulfate radicals, as well as singlet oxygen, participated in LOS decomposition, with the former being the dominant species. Using a continuous flow reactor, the system exhibited a satisfactory steady-state performance of 90% LOS removal for 114 h. Afterward, a moderate decrease in performance was observed, which can be attributed to the alteration of the catalyst’s surface and mineral dissolution due to acidity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Catalytic Processes for Wastewater Treatment)
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