Rapid degradation of bisphenol A using air as the oxidant catalyzed by polynuclear phthalocyanine complexes under visible light irradiation

Advances in photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in wastewaters: harnessing the power of phthalocyanines and phthalocyanine-containing materials

Access to clean water is increasingly challenging worldwide due to human activities and climate change. Wastewater treatment and utilization offer a promising solution by reducing the reliance on pure underground water. However, it is crucial to develop efficient and sustainable methods for wastewater purification. Among the emerging wastewater treatment strategies, photocatalysis has gained significant attention for decomposing organic pollutants in water, especially when combined with sunlight and a recoverable photocatalyst. Heterogeneous photocatalysts have distinct advantages, as they can be recovered and reused without significant loss of activity over multiple cycles. Phthalocyanine dyes, with their exceptional photophysical properties, are particularly valuable for homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis. By immobilizing these photosensitizers in various supports, hybrid materials extend their light absorption into the visible spectrum, complementing most supports' limited UV light absorption. The novelty and research importance of this review stems from its discussion of the multifaceted approach to treating contaminated wastewater with phthalocyanines and materials containing phthalocyanines. It highlights key aspects of each study, including photocatalytic efficiency, recyclability characteristics, investigation of the generation of oxygen species responsible for degradation, identification of the major degradation byproducts for each pollutant, and others. Moreover, the review includes tables that illustrate and compare the various phthalocyanines and supporting materials employed in each study for pollutant degradation. Additionally, almost all photocatalysts mentioned in this review could degrade at least 5% of the pollutant, and more than 50 photocatalysts showed photocatalytic rates above 50%. When immobilized in some support, the synergistic effect of the phthalocyanine was visible in the photocatalytic rate of the studied pollutant. However, when performing these types of works, it is necessary to understand the degradation products of each pollutant and their relative toxicities. Along with this, recyclability and stability studies are also necessary. Despite the good results presented in this review, some of the works lack those studies. Moreover, none of the works mentions any study in wastewater.

Catalytic wet air oxidation of high BPA concentration over iron-based catalyst supported on orthophosphate

The catalytic performance of Fe supported on nickel phosphate (NiP) was evaluated for the removal of bisphenol A (BPA) by catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) at 140 °C and 25 bar of pure oxygen pressure. The prepared NiP and Fe/NiP materials were fully characterized by XRD, N₂-physisorption, H₂-TPR, TEM, and ICP analysis. Iron (Fe/NiP) impregnation of NiP support enhanced the BPA removal efficiency from 37.0 to 99.6% when CWAO was performed. This catalyst was highly stable given the operating conditions of acidic medium, high temperature, and high pressure. The Fe/NiP catalyst showed an outstanding catalytic activity for oxidation of BPA, achieving almost complete removal of BPA in 180 min at a concentration of 300 mg/L, using 4 g/L of Fe/NiP. No iron leaching was detected after the CWAO of BPA. The stability of Fe/NiP was performed over three consecutive cycles, noting that BPA conversion was not affected and iron leaching was negligible. Therefore, this catalyst (Fe/NiP) could be considered as an innocuous and effective long-lasting catalyst for the oxidation of harmful organic molecules.

Solar active photocatalyst for effective degradation of RR 120 with dye sensitized mechanism

Solar active WO3 loaded Ag-ZnO (WO3-Ag-ZnO) was successfully synthesized by precipitation-decomposition method. XPS reveals that the presence of metallic silver in the catalyst. The photocatalytic activity of WO3-Ag-ZnO was investigated for the degradation of Reactive Red 120 (RR 120) in aqueous solution using solar light. WO3-Ag-ZnO is found to be more efficient than Ag-ZnO, WO3-ZnO, Ag-WO3, commercial ZnO, prepared ZnO, Degussa TiO2-P25, pure WO3 and TiO2 (Merck) at pH 7 for the mineralization of RR 120. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of photocatalyst, dye concentration, initial pH on photo mineralization of RR 120 have been analyzed. The mineralization of RR 120 has been confirmed by COD measurements. A dual mechanism has been proposed for efficient degradation of RR 120 dye with WO3-Ag-ZnO under solar light at neutral pH. This catalyst is found to be reusable.

Mesopolymer modified with palladium phthalocyaninesulfonate as a versatile photocatalyst for phenol and bisphenol A degradation under visible light irradiation

A novel versatile photocatalyst, FDU-PdPcS, was prepared by immobilizing palladium phthalocyaninesulfonate (PdPcS) onto the FDU-15 mesopolymer via multi-step chemical modification processes involving chloromethylation of the FDU-15 mesopolymer first with chloromethyl methyl ether, a subsequent amination reaction with ethylenediamine, and finally modification with palladium phthalocyaninesulfonate via ionic interaction. The obtained FDU-PdPcS photocatalyst was characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrosopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques. This photocatalyst not only affords a high dispersion of monomeric PdPcS molecules, which may further be stabilized by the pi-electron of benzene rings of FDU-15, but also provides a number of diamino groups inside the mesopores, which could be advantageous for the photodegradation of phenolic pollutants. In photodegradation studies of phenolic pollutants, the FDU-PdPcS catalyst exhibited excellent visible light photocatalytic activity and reusability. The photodegradation products of phenol and bisphenol A were investigated by the gas chromatoghraphy-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. The results showed that the photodegradation products were composed of carboxylic acids and CO2. Isopropanol, sodium azide and benzoquinone were used as hydroxyl radical (OH*), singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radical (O2*-) scavengers, respectively. The results suggested that 1O2 and O2*- were the prominent active species during the photodegradation process. A possible mechanism for the photodegradation of phenol was also discussed.

Nanostructured metallophthalocyanine complexes: synthesis and electrocatalysis

In this review, we have attempted to summarize the synthesis and catalytic applications of the nanophthalocyanine complexes. In cases where possible, we have compared the catalytic activity of the nanophthalocyanines to the bulk material. Catalytic detection of dopamine, epinephrine, glucose and some pollutants using nanostructured metallophthalocyanine have been covered.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A using an integrated system of a new gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed reactor and micrometer Gd-doped TiO2 particles

A new gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed photocatalytic reactor (GLSCFBPR) with internally placed multi-layered UV lamps was developed. Micrometer Gd-TiO2 particles and commercial nanometer P25-TiO2 were chosen as the photocatalysts, and the hazardous substance bisphenol A (BPA) was chosen as the model pollutant to investigate the performance of this new photocatalytic system. The results showed that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the micrometer Gd-TiO2 particles was similar to that of the nanometer P-25 particles at their respective optimum dosage but the former could be easily separated out by gravity. After investigating the effects of process parameters on the photocatalytic BPA degradation, the response surface method (RSM) was further used for process optimization. The interactions among process parameters, i.e., TiO2 concentration, superficial gas velocity and superficial liquid velocity were discovered and a related analysis was carried out to explore the underlying mechanism. A quadratic mathematic model was established and performed satisfactorily when used for prediction. The optimum conditions for this new process were as follows: TiO2 concentration 4.5 g/L, superficial gas velocity 7.83 x 10(-3) m/sec and superficial liquid velocity 8.65 x 10(-3) m/sec.

Zinc phthalocyanine hierarchical nanostructure with hollow interior space: solvent-thermal synthesis and high visible photocatalytic property

A novel zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) hierarchical nanostructure with hollow interior space has been successfully obtained by a facile ethylene glycol solvent-thermal synthetic route. The as-obtained products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectrum, UV-vis spectrum, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and contact angle measurement. It was indicated that the ZnPc micro-rectangular tubes with hollow interior space were built from densely nanosheets with a thickness of about 20 nm. The obtained ZnPc showed high visible photocatalytic property to degrade rhodamine B (RB), which could be ascribed to the contribution of hierarchical nanostructure, high crystallinity and super-hydrophobic property.

Sulphonated cobalt phthalocyanine-MCM-41: an active photocatalyst for degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol

The photocatalytic activity of sulphonated cobalt phthalocyanine immobilized onto MCM-41 was investigated for decomposition of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solutions. Immobilization of anion sulpho-cobalt phthalocyanine to the walls of MCM-41 was performed by pre-anchorage of 3-(aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (APTES) onto MCM-41 via post-synthesis method. X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray and FT-IR methods were used to characterize the product. Photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared catalyst for degradation of 2,4-DCP was tested under illumination of UV-A and visible light. The results obtained reveal that the photocatalyst is very active in degradation of 2,4-DCP. The photodegradation process is completed within 3h using a dose of 0.6g/L of the catalyst under UV irradiation. The reactions follow a pseudo-first-order kinetics and the observed rate constant values change with 2,4-DCP concentrations. The reproducibility of the catalyst was tested. The reaction intermediates were identified by gas chromatoghraphy-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique.

Photodegradation of bisphenol A and related compounds under natural-like conditions in the presence of riboflavin: kinetics, mechanism and photoproducts

The aerobic riboflavin (Rf)-sensitized photodegradation of the endocrine disruptor 4,4'-isopropylidenebisphenol (bisphenol A, BPA), and of the related compounds 4,4'-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dibromophenol) and 4,4'-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dimethylphenol) has been studied in water and water-methanol mixtures through visible-light continuous photolysis, polarographic detection of oxygen uptake, stationary and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved near-IR phosphorescence detection and laser flash photolysis techniques. Bisphenols (BPs) quench excited singlet and triplet states of Rf, with rate constants close to the diffusion limit. BPs and dissolved molecular oxygen, employed in similar concentrations, competitively quench triplet excited Rf. As a consequence, superoxide radical anion and singlet molecular oxygen (O2(1Deltag)) are produced by electron- and energy-transfer processes, respectively, as demonstrated by auxiliary experiments employing selective quenchers of both oxidative species and the exclusive O2(1Deltag) generator Rose Bengal. As a global result, the photodegradation of Rf is retarded, whereas BPs are degraded, mainly by an O2(1Deltag)-mediated mechanism, which constitutes a relatively efficient process in the case of BPA. Oxidation, dimerization and fragmentation products have been identified in the photooxidation of BPA. Results indicate that BPs in natural waters can undergo spontaneous photodegradation under environmental conditions in the presence of adequate photosensitizers.

Oxidation of flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A by singlet oxygen

Wide use of flame retardants can pose an environmental hazard, and it is of interest to investigate how they may degrade. We report here that 3,3',5,5'-tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is subject to photosensitized oxidation involving singlet molecular oxygen ((1)O2). By using visible light and rose bengal or methylene blue as 102 photosensitizers, we have found that TBBPA is a 102 quencher. The quenching rate constant, k(q), depends on TBBPA ionization (pK = 7.4). In acetonitrile, where TBBPA is undissociated, the kq value is 6.1 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) for a TBBPA monomer and decreases to 2.9 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) for TBBPA dimers and/or aggregates. TBBPA dissociates in aqueous solutions, and its kq value is 1.44 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) in alkaline solution, decreasing to 3.9 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7.2. The strong 102 quenching by TBBPA anion initiates an efficient oxidation of TBBPA, which results in oxygen consumption in aqueous micellar (e.g., Triton X-100) solutions containing photosensitizer. This oxygen consumption is mediated by transient radical species, which we detected by using EPR spectroscopy. We observed two major radicals and one minor radical generated from TBBPA by reaction with 102 at pH 10. One was identified as the 2,6-dibromo-p-benzosemiquinone radical (a2H = 2.36 G, g = 2.0056). A second radical (aH = 2.10 G, g = 2.0055) could not be identified butwas probably a 2,6-dibromo-p-benzosemiquinone radical containing an EPR-silent substituent at the 3-position. Spin trapping with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DPMO) showed that other minor radicals (hydroxyl, carbon-centered) are also generated during the reaction of TBBPA with (1)O2. The photosensitized production of radicals and oxygen consumption were completely inhibited by the azide anion, an efficient physical (1)O2 quencher. Because TBBPA is a stable compound that at neutral pH does not absorb much of the atmosphere-filtered solar radiation, its photosensitized oxidation by (1)O2 may be the key reaction initiating or mediating TBBPA degradation in the natural environment.

Oxidative degradation of BPA using TiO2 in water, and transition of estrogenic activity in the degradation pathways

The oxidative degradation behavior of bisphenol A (BPA) using titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) in water was investigated. The main purposes were to clarify the relationship with estrogenic activity from the degradation pathways demonstrated by oxidation of BPA in water. Approximately 99% of the BPA decomposed within 300 min, and gas chromatography (GC) mass spectrometry (MS) and liquid chromatography (LC) MS analysis revealed many intermediates during the degradation process. Intermediates by decomposition of BPA, such as hydroxylated-BPA (OH-BPA), carboxylic intermediates, phenolic intermediates, and other intermediates produced by the cleavage of a benzene ring were identified and quantified. Estrogenic activities of the degradation pathways of the BPA in water were assessed by using a constructed yeast two-hybrid assay system for human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha) and Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) estrogen receptor alpha (medERalpha). Estrogenic activity for hERalpha and medERalpha was reduced to less than 20% of the initial activity for BPA after 240 min of UV irradiation. However, estrogenic activity for medERalpha was increased by 110% from the initial activity for BPA at 60 min of UV irradiation. It was estimated that medERalpha assay was more sensitive for BPA and the intermediates than was the hERalpha assay. From these findings, we estimate that the intermediates by the oxidation of BPA have the behaviors of xenoestrogen to the aquatic wildlife in the environment.

Photocatalytic degradation of Acid Blue 62 over CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst under simulated sunlight

The novel CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite oxide photocatalysts were prepared by simple co-precipitation method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption measurement and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of CuO-SnO2, evaluated using the photodegradation of Acid Blue 62 as a probe reaction under the irradiation of Xenon light, were also found to be related to the calcination temperature and the molar ratio of Cu to Sn. The maximum photocatalytic activity of the CuO-SnO2 photocatalyst was observed to be calcined at 500 degrees C for 3 h (the molar ratio of Cu to Sn was 1:1) due to the sample with good crystallization and high surface area. It also showed much higher photocatalytic activity in treatment dye wastewater under simulated sunlight irradiation compared to Degussa P25 TiO2.