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Molecular Aspects in Catalytic Materials for Pollution Elimination and Green Chemistry 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 10094

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Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
Interests: perovskite oxides; g-C3N4; porous materials; catalytic selective oxidation/hydrogenation; pollution control
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental issues have attracted great attention given their links to a high quality of life, and the effective removal of environmental pollutants is a great challenge today. Such a challenge includes two topics: one is to remove the pollutants produced post-treatment, and the other is to synthesize chemicals via a green route, avoiding the production of pollutants in the process.

Catalytic technology is an effective way to mitigate some environmental issues, which can facilitate the conversion of pollutants to nontoxic or even useful chemicals. Thus, this Special Issue focuses on resolving such environmental problems via catalysis technology, including thermocatalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis, and research works relating to the catalytic removal of pollutants or the catalytic synthesis of chemicals via a green route are welcome.

This Special Issue on “Molecular Aspects in Catalytic Materials for Pollution Elimination and Green Chemistry” covers experimental and theoretical investigations, as well as reviews, perspectives, and viewpoints. All submissions of research articles should involve research at the molecular level as well as verified experiments.

Prof. Dr. Junjiang Zhu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pollution removal
  • green synthesis
  • catalytic technology
  • thermocatalysis
  • electrocatalysis
  • photocatalysis
  • photoelectrocatalysis

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5237 KiB  
Article
Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline on the MnFe2O4/BGA Composite under Visible Light
by Xiaoyu Jiang, Qin Zhou and Yongfu Lian
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119378 - 27 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1697
Abstract
In this work, the MnFe2O4/BGA (boron-doped graphene aerogel) composite prepared via the solvothermal method is applied as a photocatalyst to the degradation of tetracycline in the presence of peroxymonosulfate. The composite’s phase composition, morphology, valence state of elements, defect [...] Read more.
In this work, the MnFe2O4/BGA (boron-doped graphene aerogel) composite prepared via the solvothermal method is applied as a photocatalyst to the degradation of tetracycline in the presence of peroxymonosulfate. The composite’s phase composition, morphology, valence state of elements, defect and pore structure were analyzed by XRD, SEM/TEM, XPS, Raman scattering and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, respectively. Under the radiation of visible light, the experimental parameters, including the ratio of BGA to MnFe2O4, the dosages of MnFe2O4/BGA and PMS, and the initial pH and tetracycline concentration were optimized in line with the degradation of tetracycline. Under the optimized conditions, the degradation rate of tetracycline reached 92.15% within 60 min, whereas the degradation rate constant on MnFe2O4/BGA remained 4.1 × 10−2 min−1, which was 1.93 and 1.56 times of those on BGA and MnFe2O4, respectively. The largely enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MnFe2O4/BGA composite over MnFe2O4 and BGA could be ascribed to the formation of type I heterojunction on the interfaces of BGA and MnFe2O4, which leads to the efficient transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests offered solid support to this assumption. In line with the active species trapping experiments, SO4•− and O2•− radicals are confirmed to play crucial roles in the rapid and efficient degradation of tetracycline, and accordingly, a photodegradation mechanism for the degradation of tetracycline on MnFe2O4/BGA is proposed. Full article
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12 pages, 2681 KiB  
Article
Strong Metal Support Effect of Pt/g-C3N4 Photocatalysts for Boosting Photothermal Synergistic Degradation of Benzene
by Zhongcheng Huang, Xiaorong Cai, Shaohong Zang, Yixin Li, Dandan Zheng and Fuying Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6872; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076872 - 6 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2335
Abstract
Catalysis is the most efficient and economical method for treating volatile organic pollutants (VOCs). Among the many materials that are used in engineering, platinized carbon nitride (Pt/g-C3N4) is an efficient and multifunctional catalyst which has strong light absorption and [...] Read more.
Catalysis is the most efficient and economical method for treating volatile organic pollutants (VOCs). Among the many materials that are used in engineering, platinized carbon nitride (Pt/g-C3N4) is an efficient and multifunctional catalyst which has strong light absorption and mass transfer capabilities, which enable it to be used in photocatalysis, thermal catalysis and photothermal synergistic catalysis for the degradation of benzene. In this work, Pt/g-C3N4 was prepared by four precursors for the photothermal synergistic catalytic degradation of benzene, which show different activities, and many tests were carried out to explore the possible reasons for the discrepancy. Among them, the Pt/g-C3N4 prepared from dicyanamide showed the highest activity and could convert benzene (300 ppm, 20 mL·min−1) completely at 162 °C under solar light and 173 °C under visible light. The reaction temperature was reduced by nearly half compared to the traditional thermal catalytic degradation of benzene at about 300 °C. Full article
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15 pages, 7326 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Nitrogen and Phosphorus/Sulfur Co-Doped Carbon Xerogels for the Efficient Electrocatalytic Reduction of p-Nitrophenol
by Chaolong Wang, Dengxia Zhu, Huiting Bi, Zheng Zhang and Junjiang Zhu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2432; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032432 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2082
Abstract
Carbon xerogels co-doped with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) or sulfur (S) were synthesized and employed as catalysts for the electrocatalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol (p-NP). The materials were prepared by first synthesizing N-doped carbon xerogels (NDCX) via the pyrolysis of organic gels, and [...] Read more.
Carbon xerogels co-doped with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) or sulfur (S) were synthesized and employed as catalysts for the electrocatalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol (p-NP). The materials were prepared by first synthesizing N-doped carbon xerogels (NDCX) via the pyrolysis of organic gels, and then introducing P or S atoms to the NDCX by a vapor deposition method. The materials were characterized by various measurements including X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier Infrared spectrometer, and X-ray photoelectron spectra, which showed that N atoms were successfully doped to the carbon xerogels, and the co-doping of P or S atoms affected the existing status of N atoms. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) scanning manifested that the N and P co-doped materials, i.e., P-NDCX-1.0, was the most suitable catalyst for the reaction, showing an overpotential of −0.569 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) and a peak slop of 695.90 μA/V. The material was also stable in the reaction and only a 14 mV shift in the reduction peak overpotential was observed after running for 100 cycles. Full article
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Review

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20 pages, 2090 KiB  
Review
Metal Oxide Nanostructures (MONs) as Photocatalysts for Ciprofloxacin Degradation
by Petronela Pascariu, Carmen Gherasim and Anton Airinei
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119564 - 31 May 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3423
Abstract
In recent years, organic pollutants have become a global problem due to their negative impact on human health and the environment. Photocatalysis is one of the most promising methods for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater, and oxide semiconductor materials have proven [...] Read more.
In recent years, organic pollutants have become a global problem due to their negative impact on human health and the environment. Photocatalysis is one of the most promising methods for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater, and oxide semiconductor materials have proven to be among the best in this regard. This paper presents the evolution of the development of metal oxide nanostructures (MONs) as photocatalysts for ciprofloxacin degradation. It begins with an overview of the role of these materials in photocatalysis; then, it discusses methods of obtaining them. Then, a detailed review of the most important oxide semiconductors (ZnO, TiO2, CuO, etc.) and alternatives for improving their photocatalytic performance is provided. Finally, a study of the degradation of ciprofloxacin in the presence of oxide semiconductor materials and the main factors affecting photocatalytic degradation is carried out. It is well known that antibiotics (in this case, ciprofloxacin) are toxic and non-biodegradable, which can pose a threat to the environment and human health. Antibiotic residues have several negative impacts, including antibiotic resistance and disruption of photosynthetic processes. Full article
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