Efficient in situ generation of H2O2 by novel magnesium–carbon nanotube composites

Degradation of sulfamerazine by a novel CuxO@C composite derived from Cu-MOFs under air aeration

Most metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are synthesized from carboxylate and metal precursors by hydrothermal process, which will consume a large amount of solvent and carboxylate. To address this issue, a new strategy for Cu-based MOFs was developed, in which the Cu-based MOFs was obtained by using abundant natural polymer (tannic acid) as one of the precursors and using high-energy ball milling to achieve a self-assembly of tannic acid and copper sulfate. Based on this strategy, a novel Cu-based MOFs derivative (Cu_xO@C composite) was synthesized by high-temperature sintering of Cu-based MOFs and used for sulfamerazine (SMR) removal via O₂ activation. The BET specific surface area and average pore size of Cu_xO@C composite were 110.34 m² g^-1 and 21.06 nm, respectively, which made Cu_xO@C composite had the maximum adsorption capacity (Q_max) for SMR of 104.65 mg g^-1 and favored the subsequent degradation of SMR. The results from XRD and XPS indicated that Cu_xO@C composite contained a lot of Cu⁰ and Cu₂O with the sizes of 76.6 nm and 9.8 nm, respectively, which led to its high performance of O₂ activation. The removal efficiency of SMR and 90.2% TOC achieved 100% and 90.2%, respectively in the Cu_xO@C/air system at initial pH of 4.0, air flow rate of 100 mL min^-1, Cu_xO@C dosage of 1 g L^-1 and reaction time of 30 min. Reactive species, including H₂O₂, OH and O₂^- radicals were detected in the Cu_xO@C/air system, and OH and O₂^- were mainly responsible for the degradation of SMR.

Zn-CNTs-Cu catalytic in-situ generation of H2O2 for efficient catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of high-concentration 4-chlorophenol

4-chlorophenol (4-CP) with high concentration is difficult to degrade thoroughly by traditional treatment methods due to its high biotoxicity and refractory to bio-degradation. A novel catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) system based on Zn-CNTs-Cu catalysts through the in-situ generation of H₂O₂ was constructed and investigated for the degradation of high-concentration 4-CP for the first time. Zn-CNTs-Cu composite was prepared by the infiltration melting-chemical replacement method. The operational factors effect, mechanism, and pathways of Zn-CNTs-Cu/O₂ system for high concentration of 4-CP degradation were systematically performed and discussed. At the optimal experimental conditions, the degradation efficiency of 4-CP through CWPO system with Zn-CNTs-Cu/O₂ achieved 100 %, which was 689 % higher than that of wet oxidation system with O₂ alone. According to the mainly in-situ generated H₂O₂, the strong oxidative OH radical and wet-oxidation effect of O₂, high concentration of 4-CP degraded into small molecular organic matter, even been mineralized into carbon dioxide and water in the Zn-CNTs-Cu/O₂ based CWPO system. Overall, Zn-CNTs-Cu/O₂ CWPO system can efficiently degrade high-concentration 4-CP through the in-situ generation of H₂O₂ without extra replenishment, and it provides a novel method and strategy to the efficient treatment of refractory chlorophenols wastewater.

Catalytic activation of O2 by Al0-CNTs-Cu2O composite for Fenton-like degradation of sulfamerazine antibiotic at wide pH range

In this study, a novel Al°-CNTs-Cu₂O composite, capable of activating O₂ to generate H₂O₂ and further to reactive oxygen species (ROSs) at a wide pH range, was synthetized, characterized and applied for the degradation of sulfamerazine. In the activation of O₂ by Al°-CNTs-Cu₂O composite, H₂O₂ was generated from the reaction of O₂ with Al°-CNTs, which could be catalytically decomposed into O₂^- and OH by Cu₂O, the formed Cu(II) could be rapidly reduced to Cu₂O by Al°-CNTs in composite, which made Al°-CNTs-Cu₂O composite reusable and decreased the leaching of copper ions into solution. The removal efficiency of SMR and TOC was 73.91 % and 56.80 %, respectively at initial pH = 5.8, T = 20 °C, O₂ flow rate = 100 mL/min, Al°-CNTs-Cu₂O dosage = 2 g/L, SMR = 50 mg/L, and reaction time = 60 min. The removal efficiency of SMR kept almost unchanged and the concentration of copper ions in solution was below 0.5 mg/L. The Al°-CNTs-Cu₂O/O₂ process could be used as a novel catalyst for the degradation of refractory organic contaminants in water and wastewater by Fenton-like process at a wide pH range through the in situ generation of H₂O₂.

A flow-through electro-Fenton process using modified activated carbon fiber cathode for orange II removal

This study investigated the removal of Orange II by an electro-Fenton process using a novel recirculation flow-through reactor. The hydrogen peroxide was generated in-situ on the activated carbon fiber (ACF) modified with carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The modified ACF cathode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption study. In light of the production of H₂O₂ and removal of Orange II, the optimum weight percentage of PTFE in the mixture of carbon black and PTFE was 75%. The effects of some important operating parameters such as current and flow rate were investigated. The best Orange II removal reached 96.7% with mineralization efficiency of 55.4% at 120 min under the current of 100 mA, initial pH 3, Fe²⁺ 0.3 mM and the flow rate of 7 mL min^-1. The cathode exhibited good regeneration ability and stability. OH was proved to be the main oxidizing species in this flow-through electro-Fenton system. This work demonstrated that such electro-Fenton process using modified ACF cathode was promising for the degradation of organic pollutants.

Advanced biomedical applications of carbon nanotube

With advances in nanotechnology, the applications of nanomaterial are developing widely and greatly. The characteristic properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them the most selective candidate for various multi-functional applications. The greater surface area of the CNTs in addition to the capability to manipulate the surfaces and dimensions has provided greater potential for this nanomaterial. The CNTs possess greater potential for applications in biomedicine due to their vital electrical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The unique properties of CNT are exploited for numerous applications in the biomedical field. They are useful in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. They form novel carrier systems which are also capable of site-specific delivery of therapeutic agents. In addition, CNTs are of potential application in biosensing. Many recently reported advanced systems of CNT could be exploited for their immense potential in biomedicine in the future.