Natural Volcanic Material as a Sustainable Photocatalytic Material for Pollutant Degradation under Solar Irradiation

Recently, photocatalysis has been demonstrated as a solid approach for efficient wastewater cleaning. Using natural materials as photocatalysts means a promising solution to develop green catalysts for environmental purposes. This work aimed to study the suitability of a natural volcanic material (La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain) as a photocatalytic material for the degradation of pollutants in wastewater with solar energy. After analysing the properties of the natural material (BET surface 0.188 m²/g and band-gap of 3 eV), the photocatalytic activity was evaluated at laboratory and pilot plant scale for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water (50 mg L⁻¹), at 20 °C, during a period of 4 h, under UV/Vis light and solar irradiation. Photolytic and adsorption studies were developed to distinguish the photocatalytic contribution to the wastewater decontamination process by photocatalysis. Our results enable us to determine the viability of black sand as a photocatalytic material activated by solar irradiation (photodegradation of MB up to 100% by using solar energy), developing a natural and green photocatalytic system with significantly high potential for application in a sustainable wastewater cleaning process.

Photocatalytic activities of coke carbon/g-C3N4 and Bi metal/Bi mixed oxides/g-C3N4 nanohybrids for the degradation of pollutants in wastewater

Different g-C₃N₄ composite systems (coke carbon/g-C₃N₄, Bi/Bi₂WO₆/g-C₃N₄ and Bi/Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄) have been assessed as photocatalysts for wastewater pollutants removal. The coke carbon/g-C₃N₄ hybrid, produced by thermal treatment at 550 °C of a composite made from melamine cyanurate and coke, only showed activity under UV-light irradiation. On the other hand, inorganic Bi spheres/Bi mixed oxides/g-C₃N₄ nanohybrids (Bi/Bi₂WO₆/g-C₃N₄ and Bi/Bi₂MoO₆/g-C₃N₄ composites), produced by thermal reduction of Bi₂WO₆ or Bi₂MoO₆ by g-C₃N₄, exhibited a remarkable red-shift, up to 620 nm, and allowed the visible-light driven degradation of the contaminant, albeit in combination with some adsorption.

Preparation and Properties of the Full Series of Cuboidal Clusters [MoxW4-xSe4(H2O)12]n+ (n = 4−6) and Their Derivatives

Hydrothermal reactions between incomplete cuboidal cluster aqua complexes [M3Q4(H2O)9]4+ and M(CO)6 (M = Mo, W; Q = S, Se) offer easy access to the corresponding cuboidal clusters M4Q4. The complete series of homometal and mixed Mo/W clusters [Mo(x)W4-xQ4(H2O)12]n+ (x = 0-4, n = 4-6) has been prepared. Upon oxidation of the mixed-metal clusters, it is the W atom which is lost, allowing selective preparation of new trinuclear clusters [Mo2WSe4(H2O)9]4+ and [MoW2Se4(H2O)9]4+. The aqua complexes were converted by ligand exchange reactions into dithiophosphato and thiocyanato complexes, and crystal structures of [W4S4((EtO)2PS2)6], [MoW3S4((EtO)2PS2)6], [Mo4Se4((EtO)2PS2)6], [W4Se4((i-PrO)2PS2)6], and (NH4)6[W4Se4(NCS)12]-4H20 were determined. Cyclic voltammetry was performed on [Mo(x)W4-xCO4(H2O)12]n+, showing reversible redox waves 6+/5+ and 5+/4+. The lower oxidation states are more difficult to access as the number of W atoms increases. The [Mo2WSe4(H2O)9]4+ and [MoW2Se4(H2O)9]4+ species were derivatized into [Mo2WSe4(acac)3(py)3]+ and [MoW2Se4(acac)3(py)3]+, which were also studied by CV. When appropriate, the products were also characterized by FAB-MS and NMR (31P, 1H) data.

Aqueous solution chemistry of [Mo3CuSe4]n+ (n = 4, 5) and [W3CuQ4]5+ (Q = S, Se) clusters

The triangular cluster [Mo3Se4(H2O)9]4+ reacts with Cu turnings to give a new heterometallic cuboidal cluster [Mo3CuSe4(H2O)10]4+(purple; UV/Vis lambda(epsilon): 352(3907), 509(2613)). The reaction of [Mo3Se4(H2O)9]4+ with CuCl afforded the 5+ cube [Mo3CuSe4(H2O)10]5+(red; UV/Vis lambda(epsilon): 356(5406), 500(3477)). In contrast, [W3Se4(H2O)9]4+ both with Cu and CuCl gives the 5+ cube, [W3CuSe4(H2O)10]5+(yellow-green; UV/Vis lambda(epsilon): 312(5327), 419(3256) and 628(680)). Cyclic voltammetry of [M3CuQ4(H2O)10]5+ in 2 M HCl (M = Mo, W; Q = S, Se) shows a reversible one-electron reduction wave for the Mo clusters, but no reduction occurs for the W clusters prior to H+ reduction. In HCl solutions, Cl is coordinated to the Cu site of the clusters, alongside some less extensive coordination to Mo and W, and for [W3(CuCl)S4(H2O)6Cl3]+, isolated as the supramolecular adduct with cucurbit[6]uril, [W3(CuCl)S4(H2O)6Cl3]2Cl2 x C36H36N24O12 x 12H2O, the crystal structure was determined (Cu-W 2.856(4) angstroms, W-W 2.7432(15) angstroms, Cu-Cl 2.167(13) angstroms).

Holo- and hemidirected lead(II) in the polymeric [Pb(4)(mu-3,4-TDTA)2(H2O)2]*4H2O complex. N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate ligands derived from o-phenylenediamines as sequestering agents for lead(II)

The coordinating ability of the ligands 3,4-toluenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (3,4-TDTA), o-phenylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (o-PhDTA), and 4-chloro-1,2-phenylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (4-Cl-o-PhDTA) (H4L acids) toward lead(II) is studied by potentiometry (25 degrees C, I = 0.5 mol x dm(-3) in NaClO4), UV-vis spectrophotometry, and 207Pb NMR spectrometry. The stability constants of the complex species formed were determined. X-ray diffraction structural analysis of the complex [Pb4(mu-3,4-TDTA)4(H2O)2]*4H2O (1) revealed that 1 has a 2-D structure. The layers are built up by the polymerization of centrosymmetric [Pb4L2(H2O)2] tetranuclear units. The neutral layers have the aromatic rings of the ligands pointing to the periphery, whereas the metallic ions are located in the central part of the layers. In compound 1, two types of six-coordinate lead(II) environments are produced. The Pb(1) is coordinated to two nitrogen atoms and four carboxylate oxygens from the ligand, whereas Pb(2) has an O6 trigonally distorted octahedral surrounding. The lead(II) ion is surrounded by five carboxylate oxygens and a water molecule. The carboxylate oxygens belong to four different ligands that are also joined to four other Pb(1) ions. The selective uptake of lead(II) was analyzed by means of chemical speciation diagrams as well as the so-called conditional or effective formation constants K(Pb)eff. The results indicate that, in competition with other ligands that are strong complexing agents for lead(II), our ligands are better sequestering agents in acidic media.

Preparation and properties of the aqua ions [W(4)S(4)(H(2)O)(12)](n+) (n = 5, 6) and crystal structure of (Me(2)NH(2))(6)[W(4)S(4)(NCS)(12)].0.5H(2)O

The [3 + 1] reaction of [W(3)S(4)(H(2)O)(9)](4+) with [W(CO)(6)] in 2 M HCl under hydrothermal conditions (130 degrees C) gives the [W(4)S(4)(H(2)O)(12)](6+) cuboidal cluster, reduction potential 35 mV vs NHE (6+/5+ couple). The reduced form is obtained by controlled potential electrolysis. X-ray crystal structure was determined for (Me(2)NH(2))(6)[W(4)S(4)(NCS)(12)].0.5H(2)O. The W-W and W-S bond lengths are 2.840 and 2.379 A, respectively.