Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Rational design of nanoscale iron sulfide for dual inactivation of antibiotic resistance: Mechanistic insights and performance validation","authors":"Yaqi Liu ,&nbsp;Jie Yu ,&nbsp;Ping Jiang ,&nbsp;Shunli Li ,&nbsp;Qiurong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hospital wastewater is a critical hotspot for the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where conventional disinfection often fails to eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and genes (ARGs) and may even promote extracellular ARG release. In this study, a series of iron sulfide nanomaterials with distinct crystal structures and interfacial properties (Py_C, Py_O, Mar, Ma_A, Ma_B) were rationally synthesized to investigate the relationship between structural characteristics and antimicrobial performance. Experimental results demonstrated that the Py_O material, characterized by favorable interfacial properties, exhibited the most rapid and potent inactivation of multiple ARB, while simultaneously disrupting intracellular ARGs (e.g., <em>tetB</em>) and adsorbing and degrading eARGs (e.g., <em>ampR</em>). Mechanistic investigations using atomic force microscopy and two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy confirmed that Py_O induced extensive plasmid structural damage. Molecular simulations further revealed that Py_O displayed the strongest binding energy and most stable interactions with DNA. In real hospital wastewater tests, Py_O membranes achieved sustained high removal efficiencies, exceeding 97 % for intracellular ARGs and 90 % for eARGs, while maintaining operational stability. Complementary machine learning analyses corroborated that interfacial parameters such as surface charge and hydrophobicity are key determinants of antimicrobial performance, in agreement with experimental findings. Overall, this work demonstrates that rational optimization of interfacial properties can yield high-performance technologies for AMR mitigation, providing an effective solution for controlling resistance pollution in complex aquatic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121230"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bimetallic sulfide catalysts photocatalytically reduce carbon dioxide into high-value fuels: A review","authors":"Chenyue Hua ,&nbsp;Kai Xie ,&nbsp;Cheng Peng ,&nbsp;Jiang Wu ,&nbsp;Sheng Wang ,&nbsp;Jingxin Xu ,&nbsp;Kai Huang ,&nbsp;Xueli Sun ,&nbsp;Hai Zhang ,&nbsp;Rui Zhu ,&nbsp;Ping He ,&nbsp;Ahmad Hosseini-Bandegharaei","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the growing concerns over global climate change and rising energy demands, environmental challenges linked to carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions have gained significant visibility. Converting CO₂ into high-value fuels not only helps mitigate the greenhouse effect but also facilitates the reuse of carbon resources. Among available conversion approaches, photocatalytic CO₂ reduction has drawn interest for relying on solar energy and operating through a green process. Bimetallic sulfide catalysts stand out in this context, offering distinct advantages including broad visible-light absorption, adjustable electronic properties, and plentiful surface-active sites. This review systematically surveys recent developments in bimetallic sulfide photocatalysts applied to CO₂ reduction. It clarifies fundamental structure-property correlations in representative materials including ZnIn₂S₄, CuInS₂, and CdIn₂S₄, illustrating how synergistic interactions between metal components direct their optoelectronic performance. This review scrutinizes the complex reaction mechanisms leading to products such as CO, CH₄, and C₂H₅OH, with particular emphasis on the role of sulfur vacancies and surface configurations in activating inert CO₂ molecules. Furthermore, it delineates methodologies for boosting photocatalytic efficiency, including structural and morphological control, defect engineering, constructing heterojunctions, and cocatalyst loading. This work concludes by identifying prevailing limitations and promising avenues within this dynamic research domain. Intended as a foundational guide, this review aims to serve as a foundational reference for the rational design of efficient and selective bimetallic sulfide catalysts toward solar-driven CO₂ valorization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121686"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biobased materials in the circular economy: A strategic review on the advanced functionalization and applications of biopolymers","authors":"Syed Kashif Ali ,&nbsp;Abdullah Ali Alamri ,&nbsp;Faris Alfifi ,&nbsp;Hassien M. Alnashiri ,&nbsp;Humaira Parveen ,&nbsp;Sayeed Mukhtar ,&nbsp;Shaily ,&nbsp;Liyaqat Ali Kamran ,&nbsp;Mohd Waseem ,&nbsp;Adnan Shahzaib","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This strategic review synthesizes recent advances in the functionalization and application of four foundational biopolymers: chitosan, cellulose, lignin, and starch. Moving beyond descriptive summaries of synthesis strategies, the analysis integrates a comparative sustainability evaluation linking material chemistry to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) metrics and economic constraints. Across packaging and coating applications, starch- and cellulose-based systems generally exhibit lower cradle-to-gate global warming potentials than more energy-intensive chitosan films, yet their industrial adoption remains limited by moisture sensitivity and mechanical variability. Comparative trends in global warming potential, eutrophication, and end-of-life behaviour are discussed, together with limitations arising from inconsistent functional units and system boundaries across LCA studies. The review further examines how functionalization strategies that improve durability and barrier performance may simultaneously hinder biodegradation and recycling, creating trade-offs relevant to circular-economy implementation. Laboratory-scale performance gains, including antimicrobial grafting and nano structuring for energy storage, are contrasted with techno-economic barriers to scale-up, reflected in significant cost disparities between commodity polysaccharides and chemically modified biopolymers. In addition, the analysis highlights that physical disintegration under composting conditions does not necessarily indicate complete biological mineralization. Overall, the review identifies solvent-free processing, additive minimization, and standardized degradation protocols as key priorities for translating biopolymer innovations into scalable, environmentally credible material systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121722"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The synthesis of coal gasification fine slag-derived catalysts and its application: A review","authors":"Zhishang Wu,&nbsp;Ruoqun Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Yan,&nbsp;Baiqian Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a pivotal technology for the sustainable energy transition, global coal gasification capacity will grow 5 % annually over the next decade, yet its by-product gasification slag has only a 10 % global utilization rate, mostly landfilled—causing heavy metal leaching and waste of land. With a unique porous structure, rich mineral composition and low cost, gasification slag serves as an ideal catalyst precursor, paving the way for high-value utilization of industrial solid wastes and sustainable advancement in catalysis. Their preparation follows two core approaches: either introducing external active sites or activating the inherent elements in the slag to in-situ form active sites. These catalysts exhibit excellent performance in gas-phase catalysis, liquid-phase catalysis and electrocatalysis, with some properties on par with or even surpassing those of traditional catalysts. This paper summarizes the catalytic potential of gasification slag, providing guidance for the valorization of coal-based solid wastes and the sustainable development of catalytic materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121621"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comprehensive utilization of RM (Bauxite residue): Progress, challenges, and future prospects","authors":"Jiahe Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Guan ,&nbsp;Yekai Jia ,&nbsp;Xin Guo ,&nbsp;Lijuan Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121308","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Red mud (RM), also known as bauxite residue, is the highly alkaline by-product generated during alumina production. Because 1–1.5 tonnes of RM can be produced per tonne of alumina and the residue is typically fine-grained and rich in Fe-Al-Si-Ti oxides, long-term storage poses risks associated with alkalinity, dusting, and trace-element leaching. This review synthesizes recent progress on RM valorization from three complementary angles: recovery of valuable resources (Fe, Al, Ti, Sc/REEs and alkali), transformation into bulk construction/functional materials (alkali-activated binders, bricks/ceramics, aggregates, and functional composites), and environmental and energy applications (adsorbents/catalysts and CO₂ mineralization). Beyond summarizing individual technologies, we highlight how feed variability (process/region), alkalinity and mineralogy govern route selection, and we compare the technology readiness, value proposition, and environmental constraints of major pathways. Finally, we propose a decision-oriented roadmap for scaling up RM utilization, emphasizing pretreatment standardization, integrated process chains, and market/regulatory alignment to enable safe, large-scale deployment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121308"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146024404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Highly selective peroxymonosulfate conversion to singlet oxygen over N/Fe co-doped biochar for phenol degredation by Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle mediated non-radical synergism","authors":"Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Na Zhang ,&nbsp;Congcong Shi ,&nbsp;Yan Cui ,&nbsp;Yuan Li ,&nbsp;Yugao Wang ,&nbsp;Gang Liu ,&nbsp;Jun Shen ,&nbsp;Xuguang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121120","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121120","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, a metal-nonmetal co-doped biochar (N/Fe-BC) was prepared via simple sludge-coal co-pyrolysis, aiming to shift peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation towards the non-radical oxidation pathway, thereby achieving selective and deep phenol removal. N/Fe-BC+PMS system achieved a degradation efficiency of 97.7 % for 20 mg/L phenol within 120 min, with a first-order kinetic constant of 0.0339 min⁻¹ , which was 5.7 times that of the BC+PMS system. The singlet oxygen (¹O₂) was the main reactive oxygen species, and the electron transfer process (ETP) also played a certain role: Mechanism studies indicate singlet oxygen (¹O₂) was the main reactive oxygen species, and the electron transfer process (ETP) also played a certain role. The synergistic mechanism of Fe(Ⅲ)/Fe(Ⅱ) redox cycles in regulating ¹O₂ generation and electron-transfer processes during phenol degradation were revealed. DFT calculations indicated that this system can achieve the selective degradation of a series of electron-rich pollutants with low HOMO energy levels through the attack of electrophilic non-radical pathways such as ¹O₂. This work provided new insights into the application of sludge-coal co-pyrolysis biochar as an efficient, stable, and economical PMS activator for phenol removal from wastewater.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121120"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green and scalable design of plant-based MoS2-OA Pickering nanofluids for simultaneous friction reduction and heat dissipation in sustainable metalworking","authors":"Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Deping Xia ,&nbsp;Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Hualin Lin ,&nbsp;Jingzhou Liu ,&nbsp;Shuai Huang ,&nbsp;Mingan Zhou ,&nbsp;Bin Dai ,&nbsp;Sheng Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional mineral oil-based cutting fluids are increasingly incompatible with sustainable manufacturing due to their environmental and health impacts. To solve these challenges, this work presented a green and scalable strategy for a high-performance nano-cutting fluid by constructing a plant-based Pickering emulsion. This system innovatively utilized cottonseed oil as the base oil, stabilized by oleylamine (OA) modified MoS₂ nanosheets (MoS₂-OA) at the oil-water interface. The formulation was rationally designed and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) to synergistically enhance emulsion stability, lubrication, and heat dissipation. The resulting Pickering emulsion is demonstrated to possess a unique combination of significantly reduced friction and wear, along with improved thermal conductivity, outperforming a commercial cutting fluid. Mechanistic analysis revealed that MoS₂-OA nanosheets formed a multifunctional interfacial film, which synergistically served as a “lubrication film” for low friction and a “thermal bridge” for efficient heat dissipation. Thus, a novel paradigm for developing sustainable metalworking fluids is established by leveraging the synergistic potential of non-edible plant oils and functional nanomaterials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121169"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Li+ exchange efficiency of lithium slag via alkaline adjustment: Investigation into the multi-cation systems and insights for waste recycling","authors":"Na Wang ,&nbsp;Jieyu Zhao ,&nbsp;Hankun Zhang ,&nbsp;Tianlei Wang ,&nbsp;Jixue Shen ,&nbsp;Qian Kang ,&nbsp;Longfeng Tao ,&nbsp;Xi Yue ,&nbsp;Chuncheng Yang ,&nbsp;Hongchao Li ,&nbsp;Changjiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for lithium batteries promotes the generation of a large amount of spodumene leached residue (SLR) in the lithium extraction industry, which leads to potential environmental challenges. To seek a proper treatment strategy for SLR, its ion-exchange behaviors were investigated systematically in solutions containing Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺. The results indicated that the SLR exhibited a pronounced positive selective response toward Li⁺, resulting in a Li₂O content of 0.74 %-1.86 % after ion-exchange in the mixed-cation system. Moreover, a proper adjustment of solution alkalinity can further enhance H⁺/Li⁺ ion-exchange, significantly improving the exchange efficiency to a maximum Li₂O content of 8.44 %. Repeated experiments as well as industrial SLR indicated good re-utilization potential. The present work provides a novel pathway for the resource utilization of SLR and offers a feasible new approach for lithium recovery from complex ion systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121194"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Monolithic adsorbent with low pressure drop and high cycling stability enabled by an anchor effect for direct air CO2 capture","authors":"Peng Yuan,&nbsp;FeiFan Huang,&nbsp;PeiJun Li,&nbsp;HuiXian Tian,&nbsp;YuChen Zhou,&nbsp;Tao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The continuous rise in atmospheric CO₂ is a major driver of global warming, creating the urgent need for negative emission technologies. Direct air capture (DAC) based on solid amine adsorbents has attracted increasing attention due to their balanced performance in capacity, cost, and scalable fabrication. However, DAC operation typically requires high gas flow rates, making low pressure drop and strong support-active phase binding critical to limiting fan energy consumption and ensuring long-term durability. To address this challenge, a four-channel micro-monolithic adsorbent was developed using an alumina ceramic support, polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the active phase, and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) as a coupling agent. The results indicate that APS effectively enhances PEI dispersion and anchoring, enabling a CO₂ adsorption capacity of 0.61 mmol/g, stable performance over 15 adsorption-desorption cycles, and robust tolerance to humidity (0–100 % RH) and temperatures (30–50℃). In addition, the continuous channel architecture results in a low pressure drop of only 4.9–9.8 Pa/cm at gas velocities of 0.53–1.06 m/s, corresponding to a 75.5–83.8 % reduction compared with conventional monoliths. Overall, this work provides a promising micro-monolithic adsorbent platform for scalable and energy-efficient DAC deployment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121233"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A regenerable thermo-responsive nanofiltration membrane with a molecularly anchored multilayer architecture for enhanced anti-scaling","authors":"Chun Wang ,&nbsp;Jialin Wei ,&nbsp;Zhiyuan Qiao ,&nbsp;Jingwen Chu ,&nbsp;Feng Xu ,&nbsp;Yang Ye ,&nbsp;Haolong Xue ,&nbsp;Dawei Ji ,&nbsp;Jingjing Yan ,&nbsp;Changfa Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jece.2026.121264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study fabricated a thermally self-cleaning nanofiltration membrane through molecular design and multi-scale assembly. PNIPAM-PEI microgels, synthesized by grafting PNIPAM and PEI, were deposited on a PPTA ultrafiltration substrate via layer-by-layer self-assembly. The deposition cycles were systematically optimized, followed by interfacial polymerization to form a polyamide separation layer. Characterization confirmed that five deposition cycles yielded a compact thermo-responsive intermediate layer and resulted in an interpenetrating [PEMs-PNIPAM]-PA structure. The resultant composite NF membrane exhibited excellent separation performance, with rejections of CaCl₂ and MgSO₄ reaching 97.3 % and 98.7 %, respectively, at 25 ℃, along with intelligent thermo-responsive behavior. When heated above the LCST, dehydration and contraction of the PNIPAM core drove the expansion of PA layer pores, activating a “pore expansion” self-cleaning mechanism, with full structural regeneration upon cooling. A 180-hour long-term test verified that high-temperature backwashing at 60 ℃ effectively restored the flux and retention of the fouled membrane. This work offers a new strategy for developing smart nanofiltration membranes with self-cleaning capability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15759,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering","volume":"14 2","pages":"Article 121264"},"PeriodicalIF":7.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}