Rapidly degradation of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate by Z-scheme Bi2O3/TiO2@reduced graphene oxide driven by simulated solar radiation

Structure-dependent degradation of phthalate esters with persulfate oxidation activated by thermal in soil

Phthalate esters (PAEs) have become one of the most concerned emerging organic pollutants in the world, due to the toxicity to human health, and hard to remove it efficiently. In this study, the degradation performance of DBP and DEHP in the soil by water bath heating activated sodium persulfate (PS) method under different factors were studied, in which the degradation rate of DBP and DEHP were improved with the increasing of temperature, PS concentration and water/soil ratio, and higher diffusion efficiency treatments methods, due to the improved mass transfer from organic phase to aqueous media. However, the degradation rate of DEHP was much lower than that of DBP, because DEHP in the soil was more difficult to contact with SO4•- for reaction on soil surface, and the degradation rate of PAEs in soil was significantly lower than that in water. Redundancy analysis of degradation rate of DBP and DEHP in water demonstrated that the key factors that determine the degradation rate is time for DBP, and cosolvent dosage for DEHP, indicating that the solubility and diffusion rate of PAEs from soil to aqueous are predominance function. This study provides comprehensive scenes in PAEs degradation with persulfate oxidation activated by thermal in soil, reveal the difference of degradation between DBP and DEHP is structure-dependent. So that we provide fundamental understanding and theoretical operation for subsequent filed treatment of various structural emerging pollutants PAEs contaminated soil with thermal activated persulfate.

Density functional theory for doped TiO2: current research strategies and advancements

Since the inception of the density functional theory (DFT) by Hohenberg and Kohn in 1964, it rapidly became an indispensable theoretical tool across various disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, and materials science, among others. This theory has ushered in a new era of computational research, paving the way for substantial advancements in fundamental understanding. Today, DFT is routinely employed for a diverse range of applications, such as probing new material properties and providing a profound understanding of the mechanisms underlying physical, chemical, and biological processes. Even after decades of active utilization, the improvement of DFT principles has never been slowed down, meaning that more accurate theoretical results are continuously generated with time. This work highlights the latest achievements acquired by DFT in the specific research field, namely the theoretical investigations of doped TiO2systems, which have not been comprehensively reviewed and summarized yet. Successful progress in this niche is currently hard to imagine without the support by DFT. It can accurately reveal new TiO2properties after introducing the desired dopant and help to find the optimal system design for a specific application prior to proceeding to more time-consuming and expensive experimental research. Hence, by evaluating a selection of the most recent research studies, we aim to highlight the pertinent aspects of DFT as they relate to the study of doped TiO2systems. We also aim to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of DFT and present the primary strategies employed thus far to predict the properties of various doped TiO2systems reliably.

Crosstalk between aryl hydrocarbon receptor and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway: Possible culprit of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-mediated cardiotoxicity in zebrafish larvae

Typical plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been demonstrated to induce cardiotoxicity in zebrafish, but the potential molecular mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), an essential protein for inducing developmental abnormalities, has been demonstrated to be activated by DEHP in other species, but whether the AhR signaling pathway also contributes to DEHP-mediated cardiac developmental toxicity in zebrafish remains unclear. Firstly, molecular docking simulations initially confirmed the possibility that DEHP has AhR agonistic activity. To further confirm this conjecture, this work analyzed the changes of cardiac-related indexes in zebrafish stressed by DEHP at individual, protein, and gene levels. The results showed that DEHP mediated cardiac phenotypic developmental defects, increased CYP1A1 activity, and oxidative stress as well as significant changes in the expression levels of key proteins and genes of AhR, Wnt/β-catenin, and Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathways. Notably, the addition of AhR inhibitors effectively alleviated the above negative effects, indicating that the AhR signaling pathway and its crosstalk with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is an essential pathway for DEHP-mediated cardiac developmental toxicity. Overall, this work enriches the molecular mechanism of DEHP-mediated cardiac developmental defects in zebrafish and provides a reliable biomarker for future environmental risk assessment of DEHP.

Remediation of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) contaminated black soil by freeze-thaw aging biochar

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a complex structure with high toxicity, is a common organic pollutant. This study investigated the effects of fresh biochar (FBC), and freeze-thaw cycled aged biochar (FTC-BC) on DEHP-contaminated soils using a pot experiment. The specific surface area of FBC increased from 145.20 to 303.50 m2/g, and oxygen-containing functional groups increased from 1.26 to 1.48 mol/g after freeze-thaw cycles, greatly enhancing the adsorption of DEHP by biochar in the soil. The comprehensive radar chart evaluation showed that FBC and FTC-BC reduced DEHP growth stress and improved the soil properties. Compared with FBC, FTC-BC performed better in protecting the normal growth of pakchoi and improving soil properties. In addition, the application of biochar increased the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the DEHP-contaminated soil and changed the composition of the soil bacterial community. The partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) showed that adding biochar as a soil remediation agent significantly positively impacted soil nutrients and indirectly reduced the DEHP levels in soil and plants by increasing soil microbial diversity. Compared with FBC, FTC-BC creates a more satisfactory living environment for microorganisms and has a better effect on the degradation of DEHP in the soil. This study provides a theoretical basis for future biochar remediation of DEHP-contaminated soils in cold high-latitude regions.

Research progress of TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of wastewater: bibliometric analysis

The pollution caused by modernization and industrialization has caused serious harm to the biodiversity of the earth. TiO2-based photocatalyst has been widely studied as an effective and sustainable water environment remediation material. In this study, we analyzed the status and research trends of TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of wastewater in depression from 2003 to 2023 to provide a reference for further research. "Doping", "Modification" and "Heterojunction" were used as keywords, and 817 related academic literatures were screened out by using Web of Science database. Through the visualization software VOSviewer and CiteSpace, the authors, institutions and literature keywords were clustered. The results show that since 2008, the annual number of published papers on TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of wastewater has increased from 9 to 114. Among them, China has published 432 articles and made great contributions, and there are many representative research teams. Chinese universities are the main body to study TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of wastewater, but the cooperation between universities is not as close as that abroad. This paper comprehensively analyzes the research hotspots of TiO2-based photocatalytic degradation of wastewater, such as the doping of TiO2 and the construction of different types of heterojunctions of TiO2. It is expected that these analysis results will provide new research ideas for researchers to carry out future research on related topics and let researchers know in-depth research institutions and possible collaborators to conduct academic exchanges and discussions with active institutions.

Photocatalytic Degradation of 4-tert-butylphenol Using Solar Light Responsive Ag2CO3

In this work, Ag2CO3 was prepared via a solution-based method and was further characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM/EDS analysis, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. SEM results revealed the formation of micro-sized particles with a rectangular shape. The photocatalytic activity of the catalyst was evaluated in the degradation of 4-tert-butylphenol (4-t-BP) under simulated solar light irradiation. The effects of 4-t-BP initial concentration (2.5–10 ppm), catalyst dosage (100–300 mg/L), different types of lamp sources, and water matrix were investigated. Complete 4-t-BP (5 ppm) degradation was achieved after 60 min by Ag2CO3 (200 mg/L). The effect of anions such as CO32−, HCO3−, NO3−, and Cl- in the concentration range of 100–300 mg/L was also studied. CO32− promoted the photocatalytic degradation process, while HCO3− and NO3− exhibited an inhibition effect, which was marked with increasing HCO3− and NO3− concentrations. The presence of Cl− at the concentration of 100 mg/L increased 4-t-BP degradation, but higher concentrations inhibited the photocatalytic reaction. Cyclic experiments showed that the catalyst practically retained its catalytic activity toward 4-t-BP degradation after three successive experimental runs.

A Review of Electrical Assisted Photocatalytic Technologies for the Treatment of Multi-Phase Pollutants

This article reviews the fundamental theories and reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic technologies with the assistance of electrical field for degrading multi-phase pollutants. Photo(electro)catalysis including photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PECO) have been a potential technologies applied for the treatment of organic and inorganic compounds in the wastewaters and waste gases, which has been treated as a promising technique by using semiconductors as photo(electro)catalysts to convert light or electrical energy to chemical energy. Combining photocatalytic processes with electrical field is an option to effectively decompose organic and inorganic pollutants. Although photocatalytic oxidation techniques have been used to decompose multi-phase pollutants, developing efficient advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) by combining photocatalysis with electrical potential is urgently demanded in the future. This article reviews the most recent progress and the advances in the field of photocatalytic technologies combined with external electrical field, including the characterization of nano-sized photo(electro)catalysts, the degradation of multi-phase pollutants, and the development of electrical assisted photocatalytic technologies for the potential application on the treatment of organic and inorganic compounds in the wastewaters and waste gases. Innovative oxidation techniques regarding photo(electro)catalytic reactions with and without oxidants are included in this review article.

Bismuth-Graphene Nanohybrids: Synthesis, Reaction Mechanisms, and Photocatalytic Applications—A Review

Photocatalysis is a classical solution to energy conversion and environmental pollution control problems. In photocatalysis, the development and exploration of new visible light catalysts and their synthesis and modification strategies are crucial. It is also essential to understand the mechanism of these reactions in the various reaction media. Recently, bismuth and graphene’s unique geometrical and electronic properties have attracted considerable attention in photocatalysis. This review summarizes bismuth-graphene nanohybrids’ synthetic processes with various design considerations, fundamental mechanisms of action, heterogeneous photocatalysis, benefits, and challenges. Some key applications in energy conversion and environmental pollution control are discussed, such as CO2 reduction, water splitting, pollutant degradation, disinfection, and organic transformations. The detailed perspective of bismuth-graphene nanohybrids’ applications in various research fields presented herein should be of equal interest to academic and industrial scientists.