Photochemistry with microwaves

Circular Design and Functionalized Upcycling of Waste Commodity Polystyrene via C-H Activation Using Microwave-Assisted Multicomponent Synthesis

The inefficient reuse and recycling of plastics-and the current surge of medical and take-out food packaging use during the pandemic-have exacerbated the environmental burden. This impels the development of alternative recycling/upcycling methods to pivot toward circularity. We report the use of the Mannich three-component coupling reaction for the modification of polystyrene (PS) recovered with a 99.1% yield from waste food containers to form functionalized nitrogen and oxygen-rich PS derivatives. A series of functionalized PS with increasing moles of formaldehyde (F) and morpholine (M) (0.5 × 10^-2, 1.0 × 10^-2, and 2.0 × 10^-2 mol) was achieved using a sol-gel-derived Fe-TiO₂ catalyst in a solvent-free, microwave-assisted synthesis. Modified polymers were characterized with viscometry, ¹H NMR, ¹³CNMR (DEPT) FTIR, XPS, UV, and TGA. Functionalization scaled with an increasing ratio, validating the 3CR approach. Further functionalization was constrained by a competing oxidative degradation; however, the varying hydrogen bond density due to nitrogen and oxygen-rich species at higher ratios was shown to compensate for molecular weight loss. The integration of the N-cyclic quaternary ammonium cations exhibited the potential of functionalized polymers for ion-exchange membrane applications.

Microwave Irradiation in Technologies of Wastewater and Wastewater Sludge Treatment: A Review

Every year, the human impact on the world’s water sources becomes more pronounced. One of the triggers to this increase is the use of ineffective wastewater and sludge treatment systems. Recently, the number of studies of microwave processing in handling liquid municipal and industrial waste has increased. This paper discusses heat treatment, change in properties, decomposition of substances, removal of metals, demulsification, pyrolysis, biogas processing, disinfection, and other topics. The findings of European, Chinese, Russian, and other authors are summarised and presented in this review. In addition, the most notable Russian patents for microwave installations/devices and reactors suitable for a wide variety of applications are discussed. In this article, the authors look at microwave wastewater and sludge treatment from the perspective of practical application in various fields of human economic activity.

A novel method for photo-oxidative degradation of diatrizoate in water via electromagnetic induction electrodeless lamp

In this study, an electromagnetic induction electrodeless lamp (EIEL) was first introduced into UV advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for photodegradation of Diatrizoate (DTZ), which was the most persistent iodinated X-ray contrast medium (ICM), and traditional Hg lamps were taken as references. Direct photolysis rate of DTZ under EIEL irradiation was 1.34 times as that under Hg irradiation, but the electric energy consumption was 0.87 times. In this sense, the combination of EIEL and oxidants (O₂, H₂O₂ and S₂O₈^2-(PS)) was further investigated. The remarkably increased photodegradation rates were observed in UV/PS system due to primary contribution rate of SO₄^- (62.5%) based on the results of radical concentrations and second-order rate constants of DTZ with SO₄^- and OH. Inorganic ions influencing the photodegradation process were investigated. The effect of natural organic materials (NOMs) in UV/PS system was studied based on contribution ratios of light screening effect and quenching. Transformation mechanisms of DTZ in UV/PS system included deiodination, intramolecular cyclization, decarboxylation, deacetylation and deamination, which were further confirmed by frontier electron density calculations. The study indicated that UV/PS with EIEL irradiation has the potential to remove pharmaceuticals in contaminated aquatic environments.

Nitrogen-containing organic compounds: Origins, toxicity and conditions of their photocatalytic mineralization over TiO2

Sustainable water management remains a global concern to meet the food needs of industrial and agricultural activities. Therefore, pollution abatement techniques, cheap and environmentally, are highly desired and recommended. The present review is devoted to the origin and the toxicity of nitrogen-containing organic compounds in water. The progress made in removing these pollutants, in recent years, is addressed. However, a prominent place is given to the photocatalytic degradation process using the TiO₂ as a semiconductor, the conditions for good mineralization and especially the factors influencing it. The parameters that impact the performance of this method are the pH, the temperature, the reactor used, the light, the concentration of the pollutant, the amount of catalyst, etc. Up to now, the importance of one parameter relative to another has not been established because in the context of the photocatalytic degradation, certain parameters are often tightly coupled. Consequently, the mineralization is dependent on the initial degree of oxidation of nitrogen atom contained in the pollutant to be degraded. The hydroxyl nitrogen is primarily converted into nitrate ions (NO₃^-), while the amides and the primary amines are converted into ammonium ions (NH₄⁺).

An overview of advanced reduction processes for bromate removal from drinking water: Reducing agents, activation methods, applications and mechanisms

Bromate (BrO₃^-) is a possible human carcinogen regulated at a strict standard of 10μg/L in drinking water. Various techniques to eliminate BrO₃^- usually fall into three main categories: reducing bromide (Br^-) prior to formation of BrO₃^-, minimizing BrO₃^- formation during the ozonation process, and removing BrO₃^- from post-ozonation waters. However, the first two approaches exhibit low degradation efficiency and high treatment cost. The third workaround has obvious advantages, such as high reduction efficiency, more stable performance and easier combination with UV disinfection, and has therefore been widely implemented in water treatment. Recently, advanced reduction processes (ARPs), the photocatalysis of BrO₃^-, have attracted much attention due to improved performance. To increase the feasibility of photocatalytic systems, the focus of this work concerns new technological developments, followed by a summary of reducing agents, activation methods, operational parameters, and applications. The reaction mechanisms of two typical processes involving UV/sulfite homogeneous photocatalysis and UV/titanium dioxide heterogeneous photocatalysis are further summarized. The future research needs for ARPs to reach full-scale potential in drinking water treatment are suggested accordingly.

Enhancement of anodic current attributed to oxygen evolution on α-Fe2O3 electrode by microwave oscillating electric field

Various microwave effects on chemical reactions have been observed, reported and compared to those carried out under conventional heating. These effects are classified into thermal effects, which arise from the temperature rise caused by microwaves, and non-thermal effects, which are attributed to interactions between substances and the oscillating electromagnetic fields of microwaves. However, there have been no direct or intrinsic demonstrations of the non-thermal effects based on physical insights. Here we demonstrate the microwave enhancement of oxidation current of water to generate dioxygen with using an α-Fe₂O₃ electrode induced by pulsed microwave irradiation under constantly applied potential. The rectangular waves of current density under pulsed microwave irradiation were observed, in other words the oxidation current of water was increased instantaneously at the moment of the introduction of microwaves, and stayed stably at the plateau under continuous microwave irradiation. The microwave enhancement was observed only for the α-Fe₂O₃ electrode with the specific surface electronic structure evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. This discovery provides a firm evidence of the microwave special non-thermal effect on the electron transfer reactions caused by interaction of oscillating microwaves and irradiated samples.

Microwave-enhanced photocatalysis on CdS quantum dots--Evidence of acceleration of photoinduced electron transfer

The rate of electron transfer is critical in determining the efficiency of photoenergy conversion systems and is controlled by changing the relative energy gap of components, their geometries, or surroundings. However, the rate of electron transfer has not been controlled by the remote input of an external field without changing the geometries or materials of the systems. We demonstrate here that an applied microwave field can enhance the photocatalytic reduction of bipyridinium ion using CdS quantum dots (QDs) by accelerating electron transfer. Analysis of the time-resolved emission decay profiles of CdS quantum dots immersed in aqueous solutions of bipyridinium exhibited the shortening of their emission lifetimes, because of the accelerated electron transfer from QDs to bipyridinium under microwave irradiation. This discovery leads us to a new methodology using microwaves as an external field to enhance photocatalytic reactions.

Utilization of the microwave electric or magnetic field in the synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles

On preparation of bimetal nanoparticles by using a single-mode microwave resonator, Ag–Ni and Pd–Ag nanocomposites were synthesized under microwave irradiation at 80 centigrade, which was a lower temperature than that for reduction of Ag ion.

Coupled microwave/photoassisted methods for environmental remediation

The microwave-induced acceleration of photocatalytic reactions was discovered serendipitously in the late 1990s. The activity of photocatalysts is enhanced significantly by both microwave radiation and UV light. Particularly relevant, other than as a heat source, was the enigmatic phenomenon of the non-thermal effect(s) of the microwave radiation that facilitated photocatalyzed reactions, as evidenced when examining various model contaminants in aqueous media. Results led to an examination of the possible mechanism(s) of the microwave effect(s). In the present article we contend that the microwaves’ non-thermal effect(s) is an important factor in the enhancement of TiO₂-photoassisted reactions involving the decomposition of organic pollutants in model wastewaters by an integrated (coupled) microwave-/UV-illumination method (UV/MW). Moreover, such coupling of no less than two irradiation methods led to the fabrication and ultimate investigation of microwave discharged electrodeless lamps (MDELs) as optimal light sources; their use is also described. The review focuses on the enhanced activity of photocatalytic reactions when subjected to microwave radiation and concentrates on the authors’ research of the past few years.

Confirmation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) generated in the presence of TiO2 supported on AC under microwave irradiation

In order to study the degradation mechanism of technology of microwave (MW) combined with TiO2 supported on activated carbon (TiO2/AC), the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was explored through oxidation of 1,5-diphenyl carbazide (DPCI) to 1,5-diphenyl carbazone (DPCO). Furthermore, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), Mannitol (MT) and Vitamin C (VC) were used as radical scavengers to confirm the generation of the hydroxyl radicals ((•)OH). In addition, the influence of some parameters such as TiO2 mass ratio content, irradiation time, material dose, DPCI concentration and MW power on the determination of (•)OH were examined. The results showed that the (•)OH could be generated under MW combined with loaded TiO2/AC. Also, anatase TiO2/AC can generate more (•)OH radicals than rutile TiO2/AC under MW irradiation. This work would provide new mechanistic insights on the enhanced degradation effect of organic pollutants in water using the supported TiO2/AC coupled with MW technology.

Synergistic effect of microwave irradiation and conjugated polymeric catalyst in the facile degradation of dyes

Degradation of Orange G under controlled conditions using microwave irradiation.

TIME-DEPENDENT DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY STUDY ON THE ELECTRONIC EXCITED-STATE HYDROGEN BONDING DYNAMICS OF METHYL ACETATE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method has been carried out to investigate the hydrogen-bonding dynamics of methyl acetate ( CH 3 CO 2 CH 3) in hydrogen-donating water solvent. The ground-state geometry optimizations, electronic transition energies and corresponding oscillation strengths of the low-lying electronically-excited states for the isolated CH 3 CO 2 CH 3 and H2O monomers, the hydrogen-bonded CH3CO2CH3-(H2O)1, 2 complexes have been calculated using DFT and TDDFT methods respectively. One intermolecular hydrogen bond C=O⋯H–O is formed between CH3CO2CH3 and one water molecule in CH3CO2CH3-H2O dimer. Meanwhile, in CH3CO2CH3-(H2O)2 trimer, two intermolecular hydrogen bonds C=O⋯H–O are formed between CH3CO2CH3 and two water molecules. By theoretically monitoring the excitation energy changes among the CH3CO2CH3 monomer, the CH3CO2CH3-H2O dimer, and the CH3CO2CH3-(H2O)2 trimer, we have demonstrated interestingly that in some electronically-excited states, the intermolecular hydrogen bonds are strengthened inducing electronic spectral redshifts, while in others weakened with electronic spectral blueshifts. The phenomenon that hydrogen bonds are strengthened in some electronic states while weakened in others can arouse further probe into CH3CO2CH3-(H2O)1, 2 complexes.

Influence of humidity and of the electric and magnetic microwave radiation fields on the remediation of TCE-contaminated natural sandy soils

The influence of moisture content (15% w/w) on the remediation (vaporization) of trichloroethylene (TCE) present in natural sands, chosen as a TCE-polluted model system for soils, was investigated with regard to applied microwave power levels, the depth of the sand sample, and the dielectric factors. The heating process occurring in the sand samples arises through the microwave conduction loss heating and dielectric loss heating mechanisms. The characteristic relevance of the electric and magnetic microwave radiation fields to the heating mechanisms was also examined. Heating by the magnetic microwave radiation field was considerable when magnetite was added to the dry and wet sand samples as the microwave absorber. Optimal microwave conditions are reported for a single-mode microwave applicator. Near-quantitative elimination of the TCE contaminant was achieved for sandy soils within a very short time.

Photodegradation of crystal violet in TiO(2) suspensions using UV-vis irradiation from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL(-2)): products, mechanism and feasibility

Aqueous crystal violet (CV) solutions containing P25-TiO(2) photocatalyst were irradiated with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light from two microwave-powered electrodeless discharge lamps (EDL(-2)). The results demonstrated that approximately 94.4% of CV was effectively removed after 3 min of irradiation, with a pseudo-first order kinetic constant of 0.838 min(-1). According to 32 kinds of products, a five-step degradation pathway of CV was proposed. Further investigations showed that (1) three kinds of N-demethylated products and 4-dimethylaminobenzophenone (DLBP) were the main intermediates; (2) malachite green (MG) and leuco-crystal violet could not be generated by N-demethylation and phototransformation reactions, respectively; (3) bis(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)methanone preferentially generated via decomposition of the conjugated structure of CV could be further N-demethylated into DLBP. Moreover, the unique degradation pathways of CV and MG were ascribed to the different substituents on the conjugated structures. Additionally, the cost and kinetic constant of different processes was also evaluated, and the results indicated the feasibility of this method for treatment of CV in field situations.

Access to small size distributions of nanoparticles by microwave-assisted synthesis. Formation of Ag nanoparticles in aqueous carboxymethylcellulose solutions in batch and continuous-flow reactors

This article examines the effect(s) of the 2.45-GHz microwave (MW) radiation in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in aqueous media by reduction of the diaminesilver(i) complex, [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+), with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in both batch-type and continuous-flow reactor systems with a particular emphasis on the characteristics of the microwaves in this process and the size distributions. This microwave thermally-assisted synthesis is compared to a conventional heating (CH) method, both requiring a reaction temperature of 100 degrees C to produce the nanoparticles, in both cases leading to the formation of silver colloids with different size distributions. Reduction of the diaminesilver(i) precursor complex, [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+), by CMC depended on the solution temperature. Cooling the reactor during the heating process driven with 390-Watt microwaves (MW-390W/Cool protocol) yielded silver nanoparticles with sizes spanning the range 1-2 nm. By contrast, the size distribution of Ag nanoparticles with 170-Watt microwaves (no cooling; MW-170W protocol) was in the range 1.4-3.6 nm (average size approximately 3 nm). The overall results suggest the potential for a scale-up process in the microwave-assisted synthesis of nanoparticles. Based on the present data, a flow-through microwave reactor system is herein proposed for the continuous production of silver nanoparticles. The novel flow reactor system (flow rate, 600 mL min(-1)) coupled to 1200-Watt microwave radiation generated silver nanoparticles with a size distribution 0.7-2.8 nm (average size ca. 1.5 nm).