npj Clean Water最新文献

Enhanced spin polarization in GQDs/TiO2 fibers via magnetic field and oxygen vacancies for photocatalysis 利用磁场和氧空位增强GQDs/TiO2纤维的自旋极化

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-07-02 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00492-0

Yu-Ze Sun, Jin-Hua Liu, Zhi Li, Li-Peng Qiu, Jia-Bin Song, Shuai-Jie Wang, Zhen Zhang, Ru Li, Hong-Di Zhang, Wen-Peng Han, Jun Zhang, Yun-Ze Long

{"title":"Enhanced spin polarization in GQDs/TiO2 fibers via magnetic field and oxygen vacancies for photocatalysis","authors":"Yu-Ze Sun, Jin-Hua Liu, Zhi Li, Li-Peng Qiu, Jia-Bin Song, Shuai-Jie Wang, Zhen Zhang, Ru Li, Hong-Di Zhang, Wen-Peng Han, Jun Zhang, Yun-Ze Long","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00492-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00492-0","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, graphene quantum dots/titanium dioxide (GQDs/TiO2) fiber membranes with engineered oxygen vacancies were fabricated using a combination of electrospinning and solvothermal techniques. Oxygen vacancies, as key active sites, enabled spin polarization during the photocatalytic reaction, and the material’s spin polarization was verified by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and Density Functional Theory (DFT). For the first time, the effects of high magnetic fields (1000–5000 mT) on photocatalytic performance were systematically explored. The findings reveal that the magnetic field markedly enhances spin polarization, facilitating synergistic interactions between oxygen vacancies and photogenerated electrons while significantly suppressing carrier recombination. Under these conditions, the GQDs/TiO2 fiber membranes achieved a remarkable 52.44% increase in the degradation rate of methylene blue compared to zero-field conditions. Additionally, the study introduces the concept of magnetic field-induced progressive energy level modulation, wherein defect state energy levels undergo gradual adjustment before stabilization under magnetic influence. This work provides critical insights into radical generation mechanisms driven by the interplay between magnetic fields and oxygen vacancies, offering a novel pathway for designing advanced photocatalysts with broad applications in water pollution treatment and sustainable energy solutions.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Millionfold accelerated AI solver for 3D multi-physical simulations of ultrapermeable membranes 超透膜三维多物理模拟的百万倍加速AI求解器

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-07-02 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00491-1

Yanjin Liu, Jiu Luo, Mingming Huang, Hong Liu, Zhiwei Wang, Yi Heng

引用次数: 0

Novel ferromagnetic CuFe2O4/Cu as a highly active catalyst for microwave-Fenton-like reaction 新型铁磁CuFe2O4/Cu作为微波-类芬顿反应的高活性催化剂

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-07-01 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00477-z

Yejin Nam, Deukhyeon Nam, Yoon Myung, Jong Hoon Joo, Changwoo Kim

{"title":"Novel ferromagnetic CuFe2O4/Cu as a highly active catalyst for microwave-Fenton-like reaction","authors":"Yejin Nam, Deukhyeon Nam, Yoon Myung, Jong Hoon Joo, Changwoo Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00477-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00477-z","url":null,"abstract":"To overcome the short retention time in small-scale wastewater treatment plants, it is necessary to develop processes with fast reaction rates. The microwave-Fenton-like reaction (MW-Fenton-like reaction), which combines external energy and catalysts, provides a solution with rapid reaction rate and high degradation efficiency. In this reaction, catalysts significantly influence decomposition efficiency. Developing magnetic catalysts can simplify the separation process. In this study, the superiority of copper-based metal oxides for the MW-Fenton-like reaction was confirmed through comparative experiments of various metal oxides. Based on these findings, highly active CuFe2O4/Cu particles were developed. The synthesized particles, with rough-surfaced solid-sphere morphology, exhibited ferromagnetic properties and were completely separated using a laboratory-scale magnet. CuFe2O4/Cu also showed high degradation over a wide pH range and achieved the highest degradation rate at pH 7. Furthermore, comparison of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) degradation using MW and conventional heating demonstrated MW was superior in reaction rate, efficiency, and reusability.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144520892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Tailoring Fe(VI) coordination microenvironment for high-efficiency oxidation: ligand-driven electron transfer and polymerization steering 为高效氧化定制铁（VI）配位微环境：配体驱动的电子转移和聚合转向

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-07-01 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00488-w

Zhi Gao, Yu-Lei Liu, Zhuang-Song Huang, Xiao-Na Zhao, Xian-Shi Wang, Zi-Yi Han, Chong-Wei Cui, Jun Ma, Lu Wang

{"title":"Tailoring Fe(VI) coordination microenvironment for high-efficiency oxidation: ligand-driven electron transfer and polymerization steering","authors":"Zhi Gao, Yu-Lei Liu, Zhuang-Song Huang, Xiao-Na Zhao, Xian-Shi Wang, Zi-Yi Han, Chong-Wei Cui, Jun Ma, Lu Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00488-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00488-w","url":null,"abstract":"Utilizing ligand-mediated homogeneous catalysis to enhance oxidant-driven pollutant removal efficiency presents significant research value while posing substantial challenges. This study utilized ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to alter the coordination environment of ferrate(VI), thereby steering electron transfer and the phenoxylation pathways to enhance the pollutant removal, which is realized by the complexation-mediated regulation for kinetics and thermodynamics. For example, the introduction of EDTA increased the rate constant of ferrate(VI) oxidizing phenol by four times (from 50.79 M−1 s−1 to 208 M−1 s−1) and the stoichiometric ratio (∆[phenol]/∆[K2FeO4]) from 0.17:1 to 0.22:1. Theoretical calculation and experimental characterization proved that the in-situ formed metastable Fe(VI)-EDTA complex facilitates the electron transfer from Fe(VI) to benzene ring and the phenoxylation pathways. Consequently, the related polymerization products were produced in greater quantities (about 5 times) and with broader diversity than Fe(VI) alone. In the application to real water, the introduction of EDTA reduced more than half of ferrate(VI)’s dosage previously required for completely removing phenol. This study presents a novel strategy for optimizing ferrate(VI) oxidizing pollutants in water treatment, which presents notable environmental benefits by minimizing ferrate(VI) consumption and enhancing pollutant removal efficiency.<figure></figure>","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144520861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Harnessing gravity-driven membranes in activated sludge bioreactors: Enhancing energy efficiency and mitigating biofouling via quorum quenching 在活性污泥生物反应器中利用重力驱动膜：通过群体猝灭提高能源效率和减轻生物污染

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-15 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00490-2

Jun-U Jang, Jeongmi Park, Hyunjung Kim, Seonki Lee, Kwang-Ho Choo, Kibaek Lee

{"title":"Harnessing gravity-driven membranes in activated sludge bioreactors: Enhancing energy efficiency and mitigating biofouling via quorum quenching","authors":"Jun-U Jang, Jeongmi Park, Hyunjung Kim, Seonki Lee, Kwang-Ho Choo, Kibaek Lee","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00490-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00490-2","url":null,"abstract":"This study developed a gravity-driven membrane bioreactor (GD-MBR) to reduce energy consumption in wastewater treatment. The system maintained a stable flux of 6 L/m2/h when treating high-organic wastewater loads (TOC: 270 mg/L, SS: 7,000 mg/L), surpassing conventional GDMs (2–4 L/m²/h). Quorum quenching (QQ) extended stable flux duration and increased cumulative permeate volume by 26%, treating 130 L and 73 L over 65 and 35 days, respectively, compared to 105 L and 50 L in the non-QQ system. QQ reduced biofilm extracellular polymeric substances (polysaccharides by 30% and proteins by 20%) and significantly lowered N-acylhomoserine lactone concentrations (e.g., C8-HSL: 0.02 ± 0.01 pM vs. 0.34 ± 0.03 pM after 106 days). Next-generation sequencing showed increased microbial network complexity (edges: 32 vs. 27) and downregulation of biofilm- and quorum-sensing-related genes (HigA-1, Fis, LuxR family). These results highlight the potential of QQ-enhanced GD-MBRs for energy-efficient treatment of high-organic wastewater loads.<figure></figure>","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144290229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Photothermal-assisted cleaning and reusability of MXene-MWCNT membranes for efficient oil–water separation 光热辅助清洗和MXene-MWCNT膜的可重复使用，用于高效油水分离

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-13 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00485-z

Siyoung Byun, Dongjin Sim, Alicia Kyoungjin An, Eui-jong Lee, Jae-Wuk Koo, Tae-Mun Hwang, Sanghyun Jeong

{"title":"Photothermal-assisted cleaning and reusability of MXene-MWCNT membranes for efficient oil–water separation","authors":"Siyoung Byun, Dongjin Sim, Alicia Kyoungjin An, Eui-jong Lee, Jae-Wuk Koo, Tae-Mun Hwang, Sanghyun Jeong","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00485-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00485-z","url":null,"abstract":"Membrane-based separation can efficiently treat oily wastewater; however, the trade-off between flux and oil rejection, as well as susceptibility to oil fouling, particularly when dealing with highly viscous oils, often limits its applicability. To address these limitations, MXene-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite membranes were fabricated, exhibiting improved permeate flux and anti-fouling performance. The fabricated MXene-MWCNT membrane showed an oil emulsion permeate flux exceeding 19 L/m²∙h (LMH), along with a high oil rejection efficiency (~95%), effectively mitigating the conventional trade-offs associated with membrane-based separations. However, the membrane was susceptible to irreversible oil fouling when exposed to highly viscous oils, thus challenging sustainable operation. To overcome this issue, a photothermal-assisted cleaning strategy was employed. This approach enhances localized photothermal heating to reduce fouling and enhance membrane reusability. The MXene-MWCNT membrane maintained an adequate flux recovery rate (>60%) and a stable oil rejection efficiency (~99%) over four operational cycles. In comparison, membranes without photothermal cleaning achieved a flux recovery of only ~7% under similar conditions. Given its high permeate flux, excellent oil rejection performance, and enhanced anti-fouling properties achieved via photothermal-assisted cleaning, the MXene-MWCNT membrane offers a sustainable and effective solution for practical oil–water separation applications, particularly when treating wastewater containing highly viscous oils.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"593 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144288423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Review of the emerging technologies in the water sector with a focus on the deployment of Internet of Things solutions 回顾水务行业的新兴技术，重点是物联网解决方案的部署

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-13 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00487-x

Patrick Ouma Obunga, Sophia Sudi Rwanga, Megersa Olumana Dinka, Benton Onyango Otieno

引用次数: 0

A review of fundamentals, challenges, prospects, and emerging trends in hydrate-based desalination 综述了海水淡化的基本原理、挑战、前景和新兴趋势

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-12 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00484-0

Ali Jalili, Georgios Kolliopoulos

引用次数: 0

Water hyacinth-inspired self-floating photocatalytic system for efficient and sustainable water purification 水葫芦启发的自浮光催化系统，用于高效和可持续的水净化

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-10 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00486-y

Josue Yaedalm Son, Yeseul Jo, Hyeran Lee, Youn Jeong Jang, Hyejeong Kim

{"title":"Water hyacinth-inspired self-floating photocatalytic system for efficient and sustainable water purification","authors":"Josue Yaedalm Son, Yeseul Jo, Hyeran Lee, Youn Jeong Jang, Hyejeong Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00486-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00486-y","url":null,"abstract":"Photocatalytic water remediation is an effective approach for wastewater treatment; however, conventional powdered photocatalysts face challenges, including agglomeration, difficult separation, and inefficient light utilization due to their tendency to sink in water. Inspired by the buoyancy and water purification ability of water hyacinth, a self-floating photocatalytic system, Water Hyacinth-Inspired Purifier (WHIP), was developed by integrating TiO2 photocatalysts onto a porous polydimethylsiloxane substrate, with a central closed-pore structure mimicking the sponge tissue of water hyacinth. This biomimetic design ensures stable flotation under static and dynamic flow conditions, maximizing light exposure for efficient photocatalysis. WHIP effectively degraded various contaminants, including methylene blue (99.5 ± 0.4%), rhodamine 6G (98.6 ± 1.5%), methyl orange (72.6 ± 6.4%), and nanoplastics. To assess its scalability and versatility, a large-scale WHIP incorporating a TiO2/graphdiyne photocatalyst was fabricated, achieving 94.9% methylene blue removal under real ambient conditions. These findings highlight WHIP’s potential as a sustainable environmental remediation technology.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144260176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Needle ZrOx loaded NiFe2O4 catalysts for Photo-Fenton degradation of bisphenol A and 4 nitrophenol ZrOx负载NiFe2O4针状催化剂光fenton降解双酚A和4硝基苯酚

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2025-06-03 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00483-1

Velu Manikandan, Duraisamy Elango, Velu Subash, Ponnuchamy Kumar, Jeyakumar Saranya Packialakshmi, Palaniyappan Jayanthi, You Jae Sun, Kwang Soup Song

{"title":"Needle ZrOx loaded NiFe2O4 catalysts for Photo-Fenton degradation of bisphenol A and 4 nitrophenol","authors":"Velu Manikandan, Duraisamy Elango, Velu Subash, Ponnuchamy Kumar, Jeyakumar Saranya Packialakshmi, Palaniyappan Jayanthi, You Jae Sun, Kwang Soup Song","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00483-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00483-1","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the synthesis of ZrOx-loaded NiFe2O4 photocatalysts (1, 2, and 3 wt%) through co-precipitation and wet impregnation methods for environmental and health applications. The structural analysis revealed a cubic crystal structure, with ZrOx doping enhancing charge separation and mobility by converting the morphology from fibrous to needle-like. Under visible light (VL) and H2O2 activation, the ZrOx(3 wt%)/NiFe2O4 composite achieved high degradation efficiencies (98.5% for Bisphenol A and 98.2% for 4-Nitrophenol) in 120 min via the Photo-Fenton mechanism. Kinetic analysis showed pseudo-first-order behavior with rate constants of 0.945 min−1 for BPA and 0.904 min−1 for 4-NP. The catalyst demonstrated stability with 91.5% efficiency retention after multiple cycles. DFT calculations indicated favorable HOMO-LUMO alignments and electrostatic potentials. Additionally, ZrOx(3 wt%)/NiFe2O4 exhibited selective cytotoxicity against breast cancer cell lines, while maintaining high viability in HEK-293 cells. The results suggest that ZrOx(3 wt%)/NiFe2O4 composites are promising for environmental and biomedical applications.<figure></figure>","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144202049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0