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Portable wastewater treatment system based on synergistic photocatalytic and persulphate degradation under visible light

可见光光催化剂-过硫酸盐协同净化污水系统

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Abstract

Highly efficient, low-cost, and portable wastewater treatment and purification solutions are urgently needed for aqueous pollution removal, especially at remote sites. Synergistic photocatalytic (PC) and persulphate (PS) degradation under visible light offers an exceptional alternative for this purpose. In this work, we coupled a TiO2-based PC system with a PS oxidation system into a portable advanced oxidation device for rapid and deep degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater. Using hydrogenation, we fabricated hydrogenated anatase branched-rutile TiO2 nanorod (H-AB@RTNR) photocatalysts which enable the PC degradation to occur under visible light and improve the utilization of solar energy. We also discovered that the addition of PS resulted in the synergistic degradation of tenacious and persistent organics, dramatically improving the extent and kinetics of the degradation. A degradation rate of 100% and a reaction rate constant of 0.0221 min−1 for degrading 1 L rhodamine B (20 mg L−1) were achieved in 120 min in a specially designed thin-layer cell under visible light irradiation. The superior performance of the synergistic PC and PS degradation system was also demonstrated in the degradation of real industrial wastewater. Both remarkable performances can be attributed to the heterophase junction and oxygen vacancies in the photocatalyst that facilitate the catalytic conversion of PS anions into highly active radicals (·SO4− and ·OH). This work suggests that the as proposed synergistic degradation design is a promising solution for building a portable wastewater treatment system.

摘要

本文报道了一种氢化金红石/锐钛矿混晶结构的TiO2薄膜光催化材料(H-AB@RTNR)与过硫酸盐协同降解有机污染物的新方法, 设计了一套薄层式反应器以提高该方法对污染物的降解效率, 建立了可见光光催化剂-过硫酸盐协同净化污水系统. 实验结果表明, 在可见光(λ>420 nm)的照射下, 120分钟内可完全净化1 L浓度 为20 mg L−1的罗丹明B溶液, 反应速率常数达到0.0221 min−1. 在对实际工业废水的处理实验中, 此系统也表现出优异的净化效果. 机理分析表明此系统优异的净化污水性能主要归功于反应中生成的大量硫酸根自由基(·SO4−)和羟基自由基(·OH). 最后本文对降解过程中的中间产物进行了分析, 明确了降解有机物的反应路径.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Griffith University PhD scholarships, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22078118), and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2019A1515011138).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Clean Environment and Energy and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, 4222, Australia

    Meng Zu  (祖萌), Porun Liu  (刘珀润), Chao Xing  (邢超) & Shanqing Zhang  (张山青)

  2. College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510643, China

    Shengsen Zhang  (张声森)

  3. School of Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China

    Changyu Liu  (刘长宇)

  4. College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Inorganic Nonmetallic Crystalline and Energy Conversion Materials, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China

    Dong-Sheng Li  (李东升)

  5. Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Mold (Zhengzhou University), Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Chao Xing  (邢超)

Authors
  1. Meng Zu  (祖萌)
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  2. Shengsen Zhang  (张声森)
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  3. Changyu Liu  (刘长宇)
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  4. Porun Liu  (刘珀润)
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  5. Dong-Sheng Li  (李东升)
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  6. Chao Xing  (邢超)
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  7. Shanqing Zhang  (张山青)
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Contributions

Author contributions Zu M, Zhang SS and Zhang SQ conceived the idea, designed and developed the experimental plan. Zu M performed the experiments, collected and processed the data, and wrote the manuscript. All the authors discussed the results, analyzed and interpreted the data, and participated in the preparation of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Shengsen Zhang  (张声森) or Shanqing Zhang  (张山青).

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Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Meng Zu is currently a PhD student at the Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Australia. He received his Master degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University in 2016. His research interests include the design and development of functional nanomaterials for photoelectrocatalytic sensing and treatment of aquatic pollutants.

Shengsen Zhang obtained his PhD degree from South China University of Technology, China in 2012. He is now an associate professor at the College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, China. His research interests include the synthesis, modification, and characterization of nanostructured materials for wastewater purification, sensing, and energy conversion.

Shanqing Zhang obtained his PhD degree in electrochemistry in 2001 at Griffith University, Australia. He is now a professor at Griffith University. His research interests include energy conversion, energy storage, and environmental monitoring.

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Portable wastewater treatment system based on synergistic photocatalytic and persulphate degradation under visible light

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Zu, M., Zhang, S., Liu, C. et al. Portable wastewater treatment system based on synergistic photocatalytic and persulphate degradation under visible light. Sci. China Mater. 64, 1952–1963 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1599-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1599-2

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