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Sulfite activation by ZnO-encapsulated hydrogels for degradation of trimethylphenol

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Abstract

Trimethylphenol is an organic toxic byproduct of industrial process, which is difficult to be eliminated through conventional degradation without harsh conditions. In this work, a sulfite-based oxidation process activated by ZnO-embedded hydrogel was studied for the degradation of 2,4,6-trimethylphenols in the ambient conditions. The ZnO/Na2SO3 oxidative system can effectively degrade trimethylphenol via the generation of radicals such as \({\rm{S}}{{\rm{O}}_4}^{. - }\), OH·, and \({\rm{S}}{{\rm{O}}_3}^{. - }\). The presence of hydrogel matrix facilitates the distribution and recyclability of ZnO catalysts while maintaining high degradation kinetics and little leaching of metal ions. Results suggest the promising potential of ZnO-hydrogel in wastewater treatment with good performance in terms of pH sensitivity, anion interference, recyclability, etc. The combination of ZnO catalysts, hydrogel, and sulfite-based advanced oxidation process may provide essential support for the current treatment of alkylated phenols with strong potential in the commercial scale-ups.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2017LB028), the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province (Nos. 2018GSF118032 and 2022CXGC020415), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China (No. 18CX02125A). Y. X. L. is grateful for the Research Subsidy Funds of Marine Science Research Institute of Shandong Province. X. W. C. is grateful for Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain with project reference number of PID2020-113809RB-C33 and by Junta de Andalucía (Spain) with reference number of PY18-2727.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Heavy Oil State Laboratory and Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, China

    Jiyuan Nai, Yaning Han & Lei Jiang

  2. Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales, Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro, Puerto Real, Cádiz, E-11510, Spain

    Yaning Han & Xiaowei Chen

  3. Marine Science Research Institute of Shandong Province, Qingdao, 266104, China

    Shoudu Zhang & Youxun Li

  4. CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China

    Ren’an Wu & Li Wang

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  1. Jiyuan Nai
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Correspondence to Youxun Li or Lei Jiang.

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Nai, J., Han, Y., Zhang, S. et al. Sulfite activation by ZnO-encapsulated hydrogels for degradation of trimethylphenol. Nano Res. 16, 12345–12356 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6122-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6122-z

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