Engineering a carbon xerogel/ZnO/Cu2-xS photocatalyst for efficient solar and visible-driven degradation of salicylic acid

IF 6.7 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Journal of water process engineering Pub Date : 2025-07-30 DOI:10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108437

Ikaro Tessaro , Flávio Henrique Covolam Boldrin , Bruno Henrique Baena da Silva , Camilla Gomes Mascarenhas , Luíza Fonseca Pinheiro , Paula Maria Rafaela Marcelino dos Santos , Gabriel Leda de Arruda , Ana Karine Furtado de Carvalho , Robson da Silva Rocha , Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza , Liana Alvares Rodrigues

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Abstract

The contamination of water bodies by emerging pollutants (EP) from various industrial and human activities poses environmental and health risks, prompting the development of effective remediation strategies such as photocatalysis, which has shown promise for degrading these contaminants. This study presents a Cu_2-xS/ZnO/carbon xerogel composite, designed as an S-scheme heterojunction stabilized by a biomass-derived carbon mediator from black acacia tannin and synthesized through simple methods, to enhance charge separation and solar and visible light utilization for the photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid. The composite 7.5 % Cu_2-xS/ZnO/0.25CX 600 °C, demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving complete degradation of SA under solar radiation and 59 % degradation under visible light within 300 min, with significant mineralization (90 % - solar; 62 % - visible). Comprehensive structural and electronic characterizations confirmed the formation of an efficient heterojunction in the most effective material, with carbon xerogel enhancing light absorption and stabilizing the double-type S charge transfer mechanism. The degradation process was primarily driven by the generation of hydroxyl radicals (OH), photogenerated electrons (e⁻), and superoxide anions (O₂⁻). Phytotoxicity tests revealed that the solution treated with this optimal material exhibited significantly reduced toxicity, highlighting its potential for real-world environmental applications and sustainability.

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设计一种碳干凝胶/ZnO/Cu2-xS光催化剂，用于高效的太阳能和可见光驱动降解水杨酸

来自各种工业和人类活动的新兴污染物（EP）对水体的污染构成了环境和健康风险，促使开发了有效的补救策略，如光催化，它已显示出降解这些污染物的希望。本研究提出了一种Cu2-xS/ZnO/碳干凝胶复合材料，该复合材料设计为s型异质结，由来自黑相思单宁的生物质碳介质稳定，并通过简单的方法合成，以提高电荷分离和太阳能和可见光的利用率，用于光催化降解水杨酸。复合材料为7.5% Cu2-xS/ZnO/0.25CX 600°C，表现出优异的性能，在太阳辐射下实现了SA的完全降解，在可见光下在300分钟内实现了59%的降解，并且具有显著的矿化(90% -太阳能；62%（可见）。全面的结构和电子表征证实了在最有效的材料中形成了一个高效的异质结，碳干凝胶增强了光吸收并稳定了双S型电荷转移机制。降解过程主要由羟基自由基（OH）、光生电子（e−）和超氧阴离子（O2−）的产生驱动。植物毒性测试显示，用这种最佳材料处理的溶液毒性显著降低，突出了其在现实环境应用和可持续性方面的潜力。

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来源期刊

Journal of water process engineering Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Biotechnology

CiteScore

10.70

自引率

8.60%

发文量

846

审稿时长

24 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Water Process Engineering aims to publish refereed, high-quality research papers with significant novelty and impact in all areas of the engineering of water and wastewater processing . Papers on advanced and novel treatment processes and technologies are particularly welcome. The Journal considers papers in areas such as nanotechnology and biotechnology applications in water, novel oxidation and separation processes, membrane processes (except those for desalination) , catalytic processes for the removal of water contaminants, sustainable processes, water reuse and recycling, water use and wastewater minimization, integrated/hybrid technology, process modeling of water treatment and novel treatment processes. Submissions on the subject of adsorbents, including standard measurements of adsorption kinetics and equilibrium will only be considered if there is a genuine case for novelty and contribution, for example highly novel, sustainable adsorbents and their use: papers on activated carbon-type materials derived from natural matter, or surfactant-modified clays and related minerals, would not fulfil this criterion. The Journal particularly welcomes contributions involving environmentally, economically and socially sustainable technology for water treatment, including those which are energy-efficient, with minimal or no chemical consumption, and capable of water recycling and reuse that minimizes the direct disposal of wastewater to the aquatic environment. Papers that describe novel ideas for solving issues related to water quality and availability are also welcome, as are those that show the transfer of techniques from other disciplines. The Journal will consider papers dealing with processes for various water matrices including drinking water (except desalination), domestic, urban and industrial wastewaters, in addition to their residues. It is expected that the journal will be of particular relevance to chemical and process engineers working in the field. The Journal welcomes Full Text papers, Short Communications, State-of-the-Art Reviews and Letters to Editors and Case Studies