Photocatalytic behaviour of WO3/TiO2-N for diclofenac degradation using simulated solar radiation as an activation source.

In this study, the photocatalytic removal of an emerging contaminant, diclofenac (DCF) sodium, was performed using the nitrogen-doped WO3/TiO2-coupled oxide catalyst (WO3/TiO2-N). The catalyst synthesis was accomplished by a sol-gel method using tetrabutyl orthotitanate (C16H36O4Ti), ammonium p-tungstate [(NH4)10H2W12O42·4H2O] and ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) as the nitrogen source. For comparison, TiO2 and WO3/TiO2 were also prepared under similar conditions. Analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were conducted to characterize the synthesized materials. The photocatalytic efficiency of the semiconductors was determined in a batch reactor irradiated with simulated solar light. Residual and mineralized DCF were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography, total organic carbon analysis and ion exchange chromatography. The results indicated that the tungsten atoms were dispersed on the surface of TiO2 as WO3. The partial substitution of oxygen by nitrogen atoms into the lattice of TiO2 was an important factor to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of WO3/TiO2. Therefore, the best photocatalytic activity was obtained with the WO3/TiO2-N0.18 catalyst, reaching 100% DCF transformation at 250 kJ m-2 and complete mineralization at 400 kJ m-2 of solar-accumulated energy.

UV and visible activation of Cr(III)-doped TiO2 catalyst prepared by a microwave-assisted sol-gel method during MCPA degradation.

Photocatalytic degradation of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in aqueous solution using Cr(III)-doped TiO2 under UV and visible light was investigated. The semiconductor material was synthesized by a microwave-assisted sol-gel method with Cr(III) doping contents of 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 wt%. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen physisorption, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of MCPA was followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. The intermediates formed during degradation were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Chloride ion evolution was measured by ion chromatography. Characterization results showed that Cr(III)-doped TiO2 materials possessed a small crystalline size, high surface area, and mesoporous structure. UV-Vis DRS showed enhanced absorption in the visible region as a function of the Cr(III) concentration. The Cr(III)-doped TiO2 catalyst with 0.04 wt% of Cr(III) was more active than bare TiO2 for the degradation of MCPA under both UV and visible light. The intermediates identified during MCPA degradation were 4-chloro-2-methylphenol (CMP), 2-(4-hydroxy-2-methylphenoxy) acetic acid (HMPA), and 2-hydroxybuta-1,3-diene-1,4-diyl-bis (oxy)dimethanol (HBDM); the formation of these intermediates depended on the radiation source.

A rapid microwave-assisted synthesis of a sodium-cadmium metal-organic framework having improved performance as a CO2 adsorbent for CCS.

We report on a facile and rapid microwave-assisted method for preparing a sodium-cadmium metal-organic framework (having coordinatively unsaturated sodium ions) that considerably shortens the conventional synthesis time from 5 days to 1 hour. The obtained (Na,Cd)-MOF showed an excellent volumetric CO2 adsorption capacity (5.2 mmol cm(-3) at 298 K and 1 bar) and better CO2 adsorption properties than those shown by the same metal-organic framework when synthesized following a more conventional procedure. Moreover, the newly prepared material was found to display high selectivity for adsorption of carbon dioxide over nitrogen, and good regenerability and stability during repeated CO2 adsorption-desorption cycles, which are the required properties for any adsorbent intended for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CSS) from the post-combustion flue gas of fossil fuelled power stations.

Automated growth of metal-organic framework coatings on flow-through functional supports.

A fully automated method for the controlled growth of metal-organic framework coatings on flow-through functional supports is reported. The obtained hybrid flow-through supports show high performance for the automated extraction of water pollutants.