Enhanced catalytic activity of Fe bimetallic modified PAN fiber complexes prepared with different assisted metal ions for degradation of organic dye

Photocatalytic oxidation of Reactive Red 195 by bimetallic Fe-Co catalyst: Statistical modeling and optimization via Box-Behnken design

Response surface methodology (RSM) is an effective tool for process optimization with multi-complex operational factors. The present work aims to model and optimize the photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) parameters of Reactive Red 195 (RR195) dye decoloration with the SiO2-supported Fe-Co catalyst (FCS) derived from a novel catalyst synthesis method, fluidized-bed crystallization (FBC) process, using Box-Behnken design (BBD) as the RSM statistical model. The Fe-Co@SiO2 catalyst was successfully fabricated using the FBC process, and it showed good catalytic activity and performance toward the degradation of RR195. The extent of the effects of pH, H2O2 dosage (HD), catalyst loading (CL), and operating time (t) on the decoloration of RR195 was studied. Hence, the order of variable significance follows the sequence: pH > t > CL > HD. pH has the most significant effect among the variables for RR195 decoloration. The decoloration efficiency predicted by the BBD model was 88.3% under the optimized operation conditions of initial pH of 3.15, 0.76 mM H2O2, 1.18 g L-1 FCS and 59.4 min of operating time. The actual decoloration efficiency was very close to the predicted value indicating that BBD can efficiently be utilized to optimize RR195 degradation with FCS under the PCO system.

Simplified creation of polyester fabric supported Fe-based MOFs by an industrialized dyeing process: Conditions optimization, photocatalytics activity and polyvinyl alcohol removal

MIL-53(Fe) was successfully prepared and deposited on the surface carboxylated polyester (PET) fiber by an optimized conventional solvothermal or industrialized high temperature pressure exhaustion (HTPE) process to develop a PET fiber supported MIL-53(Fe) photocatalyst (MIL-Fe@PET) for the degradation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in water under light emitting diode (LED) visible irradiation. On the basis of several characterizations, MIL-Fe@PET was tested for the photocalytic ability and degradation mechanism. It was found that temperature elevation significantly enhanced the formation and deposition of MIL-53(Fe) with better photocatalytic activity. However, higher temperature than 130°C was not in favor of its photocatalytic activity. Increasing the number of surface carboxyl groups of the modified PET fiber could cause a liner improvement in MIL-53(Fe) loading content and photocatalytic ability. High visible irradiation intensity also dramatically increased photocatalytic ability and PVA degradation efficiency of MIL-Fe@PET. Na₂S₂O₈ was used to replace H₂O₂ as electron acceptor for further promoting PVA degradation in this system. MIL-Fe@PET prepared by HTPE process showed higher MIL-53(Fe) loading content and slightly lower PVA degradation efficiency than that prepared by solvothermal process at the same conditions. These findings provided a practical strategy for the large-scale production of the supported MIL-53(Fe) as a photocatalyst in the future.

Fe-based Fenton-like catalysts for water treatment: Preparation, characterization and modification

Fenton reaction based on hydroxyl radicals () is effective for environment remediation. Nevertheless, the conventional Fenton reaction has several disadvantages, such as working at acidic pH, producing iron-containing sludge, and the difficulty in catalysts reuse. Fenton-like reaction using solid catalysts rather than Fe²⁺ has received increasing attention. To date, Fe-based catalysts have received increasing attention due to their earth abundance, good biocompatibility, comparatively low toxicity and ready availability, it is necessary to review the current status of Fenton-like catalysts. In this review, the recent advances in Fe-based Fenton-like catalysts were systematically analyzed and summarized. Firstly, the various preparation methods were introduced, including template-free methods (precipitation, sol gel, impregnation, hydrothermal, thermal, and others) and template-based methods (hard-templating method and soft-templating method); then, the characterization techniques for Fe-based catalysts were summarized, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET), SEM (scanning electron microscopy)/TEM (transmission electron microscopy)/HRTEM (high-resolution TEM), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy)/Raman, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy etc.; thirdly, some important conventional Fe-based catalysts were introduced, including iron oxides and oxyhydroxides, zero-valent iron (ZVI) and iron disulfide and oxychloride; fourthly, the modification strategies of Fe-based catalysts were discussed, such as microstructure controlling, introduction of support materials, construction of core-shell structure and incorporation of new metal-containing component; Finally, concluding remarks were given and the future perspectives for further study were discussed. This review will provide important information to further advance the development and application of Fe-based catalysts for water treatment.

Synthesis and catalytic utilization of bimetallic systems for wastewater remediation: A review

The environment is affected by agricultural, domestic, and industrial activities that lead to drastic problems such as global warming and wastewater generation. Wastewater pollution is of public concern, making the treatment of persistent pollutants in water and wastewater highly imperative. Several conventional treatment technologies (physicochemical processes, biological degradation, and oxidative processes) have been applied to water and wastewater remediation, but each has numerous limitations. To address this issue, treatment using bimetallic systems has been extensively studied. This study reviews existing research on various synthesis methods for the preparation of bimetallic catalysts and their catalytic application to the treatment of organic (dyes, phenol and its derivatives, and chlorinated organic compounds) and inorganic pollutants (nitrate and hexavalent chromium) from water and wastewater. The reaction mechanisms, removal efficiencies, operating conditions, and research progress are also presented. The results reveal that Fe-based bimetallic catalysts are one of the most efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the treatment of organic and inorganic contamination. Furthermore, the roles and performances of bimetallic catalysts in the removal of these environmental contaminants are different.

Recent advances in Cu-Fenton systems for the treatment of industrial wastewaters: Role of Cu complexes and Cu composites

Cu-based Fenton systems have been recognized as a promising suite of technologies for the treatment of industrial wastewaters due to their high catalytic oxidation capacity. Rapid progress regarding Cu Fenton systems has been made not only in fundamental mechanistic aspects of these systems but also with regard to applications over the past decade. Based on available literature, this review synthesizes the recent advances regarding both the understanding and applications of Cu-based Fenton processes for industrial wastewater treatment. Cu-based catalysts that are essential to the effectiveness of use of Cu Fenton reactions for oxidation of target species are mainly classified into two types: (i) Cu complexes with organic or inorganic ligands, and (ii) Cu composites with inorganic materials. Performance of the Cu-based catalysts for the removal of organic pollutants in industrial wastewaters are reviewed, with the key operating parameters illustrated. Furthermore, the roles of Cu complexes and composites in both homogeneous and heterogeneous Cu-Fenton systems are critically examined with particular focus on the mechanisms involved. Perspectives and future efforts needed for Cu-based Fenton systems using Cu complexes and composites for industrial wastewater treatment are presented.

MoSx co-catalytic activation of H2O2 by heterogeneous hemin catalyst under visible light irradiation

The slow Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ conversion and difficult reactants contact are the main challenges for H₂O₂ activation using heterogeneous iron-based catalysts. As a typical two-dimensional layered nanomaterial, molybdenum sulfide holds great promise for promoting such process as co-catalysts, but its combination with solid iron catalysts is rarely reported. In this work, we fabricated a novel heterogeneous photocatalyst by directly anchoring amorphous MoSx onto the PAN fibers with hemin via an adsorption and in-situ transformation method. The detailed characterizations show the successful assembly of hemin and MoSx with the fibrous support through axial coordination and electrostatic bonding, respectively. Taking the degradation of organic dyes as model reactions, the as-prepared catalyst achieved remarkably high and stable catalytic performance in the presence of H₂O₂ under visible light irradiation, which was much superior to that of the single hemin or MoSx supported fibrous catalyst. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to (i) the excellent adsorption capability of MoSx, which allows the catalyst to easily capture the reactants and (ii) the accelerated rate-limiting step of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ conversion. In addition, we also explored the MoSx co-catalytic effect on the other iron-based heterogeneous H₂O₂ activation systems (such as supported Fe³⁺ or FePc), and similar enhancing effect was observed. Our findings provide a facile and promising strategy to rationally design the advanced oxidation processes for environmental remediation.

Coordinative integration of copper (II) and iron (II) phthalocyanine into amidoximated PAN fiber for enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Metal phthalocyanine (MPc) complexes hold great promise for photocatalysis applications because of their high visible light harvesting efficiency and semiconductive properties. However, the effective development requires the suppression of their rapid charge recombination. Transition metal ions can act as electron traps to enhance the charge separation of semiconductors, but challenges still remain for bimetallic co-catalysis of MPc due to the difficulties in the combination between them. Herein, we proposed a new approach to enable the assisted metal ions to interact with MPc through fibrous support, constructing a novel bimetallic photocatalyst via simultaneously immobilizing iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) and Cu(II) onto the surface of amidoximated polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber. Taking the photodegradation of organic dyes as model reactions, this bimetallic catalyst achieves much higher photoactivity than that of the monometallic FePc catalyst, and effectively converts surface H₂O₂ into hydroxyl radicals rather than superoxide radicals and high-valent metal-oxo species. The Cu(II) not only enables the transfer of photoexcited electrons from FePc, but also promotes the running of Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle to boost reactive radicals generation through H₂O₂ activation. The strategy of coupling Cu(II) with MPc through fibrous support provides a facile and promising solution for the advancement of MPc-based photocatalysis via visible light energy.

Mechanism insight of pollutant degradation and bromate inhibition by Fe-Cu-MCM-41 catalyzed ozonation

A flexible catalyst, Fe-Cu-MCM-41, was employed to enhance diclofenac (DCF) mineralization and inhibit bromate formation in catalytic ozonation process. Greater TOC removal was achieved in Fe-Cu-MCM-41/O₃ process (78%) than those in Fe-MCM-41/O₃ (65%), Cu-MCM-41/O₃ (73%) and sole ozonation (42%). But it was interesting that both Cu-MCM-41/O₃ and Fe-MCM-41/O₃ achieved 93% bromate inhibition efficiency, only 71% inhibition efficiency was observed in Fe-Cu-MCM-41/O₃. Influence of pH, TBA/NaHSO₃ and detection of by-products were conducted to explore the mechanism. By Pyridine adsorption-IR and XPS, a relationship was found among activity of catalysts, Lewis acid sites and electron transfer effect between Fe (II/III) and Cu (I/II). Fe-Cu-MCM-41 promoted ozone decomposition to generate OH, which accounted for enhanced DCF mineralization. The consumption of aqueous O₃ also suppressed the oxidative of Br^- and HBrO/Br^-. More HBrO/BrO^- accumulated in catalytic ozonation process and less bromate generated. Bromate formation in Fe-Cu-MCM-41/O₃ process was sensitive with pH value, the acidic condition was not favor for bromate formation. Both DCF mineralization and bromate inhibition were influenced by surface reaction. Moreover, Fe-Cu-MCM-41 showed excellent catalytic performance in suppressing the accumulation of carboxylic acid, especially for oxalic acid. Nearly no oxalic acid was detected during Fe-Cu-MCM-41/O₃ process.

Photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde by PAN nonwoven supported Fe(iii) catalysts under visible light irradiation

Amidoximated PAN nonwoven fabrics coordinated with Fe(iii) as a photocatalyst for formaldehyde degradation by activating O₂ under visible irradiation.

Iron phthalocyanine supported on amidoximated PAN fiber as effective catalyst for controllable hydrogen peroxide activation in oxidizing organic dyes

Iron(II) phthalocyanine was immobilized onto amidoximated polyacrylonitrile fiber to construct a bioinspired catalytic system for oxidizing organic dyes by H₂O₂ activation. The amidoxime groups greatly helped to anchor Iron(II) phthalocyanine molecules onto the fiber through coordination interaction, which has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analyses. Electron spin resonance studies indicate that the catalytic process of physically anchored Iron(II) phthalocyanine performed via a hydroxyl radical pathway, while the catalyst bonded Iron(II) phthalocyanine through coordination effect could selectively catalyze the H₂O₂ decomposition to generate high-valent iron-oxo species. This may result from the amidoxime groups functioning as the axial fifth ligands to favor the heterolytic cleavage of the peroxide OO bond. This feature also enables the catalyst to only degrade the dyes adjacent to the catalytic active centers and enhances the efficient utilization of H₂O₂. In addition, this catalyst could effectively catalyze the mineralization of organic dyes and can be easily recycled without any loss of activity.

Experimental and theoretical study on the reactivity of maghemite doped with Cu2+ in oxidation reactions: structural and thermodynamic properties towards a Fenton catalyst

In this paper a new Fenton catalyst composed of iron oxide doped with a small amount of Cu was developed.

Coaxial solution blowing of modified hollow polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber Fe complex (Fe-AO-CSB-HPAN) as a heterogeneous Fenton photocatalyst for organic dye degradation

The dyes degradation performance of the modified hollow polyacrylonitrile Fe complex (Fe-AO-CSB-HPAN) prepared by coaxial solution blowing (CSB).