Conducting polymers are extensively studied due to their outstanding properties, including tunable electrical property, optical and high mechanical properties, easy synthesis and effortless fabrication and high environmental stability over conventional inorganic materials Although conducting polymers have a lot of limitations in their pristine form, hybridization with other materials overcomes these limitations The synergetic effects of conducting polymer composites give them wide applications in electrical, electronics and optoelectronic fields An in-depth analysis of composites of conducting polymers with carbonaceous materials, metal oxides, transition metals and transition metal dichalcogenides etc is used to study them effectively Here in this review we seek to describe the transport models which help to explain the conduction mechanism, relevant synthesis approaches, and physical properties, including electrical, optical and mechanical properties Recent developments in their applications in the fields of energy storage, photocatalysis, anti-corrosion coatings, biomedical applications and sensing applications are also explained Structural properties play an important role in the performance of the composites

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Conducting polymers: a comprehensive review on recent advances in synthesis, properties and applications

Piezocatalysis and Piezo-Photocatalysis: Catalysts Classification and Modification Strategy, Reaction Mechanism, and Practical Application

Recent advances in removal techniques of Cr(VI) toxic ion from aqueous solution: A comprehensive review

3D-MoS2 can adsorb organic molecules and provide multidimensional electron transport pathways, implying a potential application for environment remediation. Here, we study the degradation of aromatic organics in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) by a 3D-MoS2 sponge loaded with MoS2 nanospheres and graphene oxide (GO). Exposed Mo4+ active sites on 3D-MoS2 can significantly improve the concentration and stability of Fe2+ in AOPs and keep the Fe3+ /Fe2+ in a stable dynamic cycle, thus effectively promoting the activation of H2 O2 /peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of organic pollutants in the 3D-MoS2 system is about 50 times higher than without cocatalyst. After a 140 L pilot-scale experiment, it still maintains high efficiency and stable AOPs activity. After 16 days of continuous reaction, the 3D-MoS2 achieves a degradation rate of 120 mg L-1 antibiotic wastewater up to 97.87 %. The operating cost of treating a ton of wastewater is only US$ 0.33, suggesting huge industrial applications.

Designing 3D-MoS 2 Sponge as Excellent Cocatalysts in Advanced Oxidation Processes for Pollutant Control.

The efficient conversion of solar energy by means of photocatalysis shows huge potential to relieve the ongoing energy crisis and increasing environmental pollution. However, unsatisfactory conversion efficiency still hinders its practical application. The introduction of external fields can remarkably enhance the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors from the inside out. This review focuses on recent advances in the application of diverse external fields, including microwaves, mechanical stress, temperature gradient, electric field, magnetic field, and coupled fields, to boost photocatalytic reactions, for applications in, for example, contaminant degradation, water splitting, CO2 reduction, and bacterial inactivation. The relevant reinforcement mechanisms of photoabsorption, the transport and separation of photoinduced charges, and adsorption of reagents by the external fields are highlighted. Finally, the challenges and outlook for the development of external-field-enhanced photocatalysis are presented.

Photocatalysis Enhanced by External Fields.

Precious metals such as gold and platinum are valued materials for a variety of important applications, but their scarcity poses a risk of supply disruption. Recycling precious metals from waste provides a promising solution; however, conventional metallurgical methods bear high environmental costs and energy consumption. Here, we report a photocatalytic process that enables one to selectively retrieve seven precious metals—silver (Ag), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru) and iridium (Ir)—from waste circuit boards, ternary automotive catalysts and ores. The whole process does not involve strong acids or bases or toxic cyanide, but needs only light and photocatalysts such as titanium dioxide (TiO2). More than 99% of the targeted elements in the waste sources can be dissolved and the precious metals recovered after a simple reducing reaction that shows a high purity (≥98%). By demonstrating success at the kilogram scale and showing that the catalysts can be reused more than 100 times, we suggest that this approach might be industry compatible. This research opens up a new path in the development of sustainable technologies for recycling the Earth’s resources and contributing to a circular economy. Recovering precious resources from waste is essential to implement a circular economy, but the available methods carry environmental costs. In this Article, a greener photocatalytic process is shown to recover up to seven precious metals from waste successfully, offering the potential for wide application.

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Selective recovery of precious metals through photocatalysis

In order to develop efficient photocatalysts, great efforts have been made to reduce hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium. The photocatalytic efficiency of this reduction depends largely on the adsorption and diffusion of hexavalent chromium ions on the surface of the photocatalyst. In this paper, polyaniline-TiO2 composite can effectively improve the photocatalytic reduction performance and stability of hexavalent chromium ion. The effect of polyaniline (PANI) thickness on Cr(VI) activity and stability of photocatalytic reduction was studied by adjusting the content of PANI on Mesoporous TiO2 (MT) surface. Under the irradiation conditions, the reaction results showed that the reduction rate was 100%, and the maximum reaction rate reached 0.62 min−1 when the PANI modification was 3.0%. Moreover, the results showed that the reduction performance remained 100% after ten cycles. The main reason is that the PANI modified on the surface of TiO2 is rich in positively charged amino group, which can efficiently adsorb the reactant Cr(VI), and make the product Cr(III) leave the reaction interface quickly, thus ensuring the performance of photocatalyst.

Polyaniline-TiO2 composite photocatalysts for light-driven hexavalent chromium ions reduction

Microwave induced surface enhanced pollutant adsorption and photocatalytic degradation on Ag/TiO2

Composite of porphyrins and piezoelectric materials is a promising method to overcome the limitation of photocatalytic response of composite catalysts, inhibit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and enhance photocatalytic degradation performance. Here, the Fe-S electronic channel is formed by the combination of MoS2 and iron porphyrin, which enhances the electron transfer performance of iron porphyrin to MoS2 semiconductor. At the same time, two-dimensional MoS2 surface with piezoelectric properties forms an electric field, which further enhances charge separation and piezoelectric catalytic performance. The photoexcitation of porphyrin and the piezoelectric excitation of molybdenum sulfide cooperate with each other under the simultaneous action of light and ultrasound. Oxygen radicals and hydroxyl radicals are enhanced, and the catalytic degradation performance is further enhanced. By strengthening the interaction between porphyrins and piezoelectric materials, especially bonding, a good and stable catalyst for pollutant degradation and purification was prepared.

Jieya Wen

Papers

Selective recovery of precious metals through photocatalysis

Polyaniline-TiO2 composite photocatalysts for light-driven hexavalent chromium ions reduction

Microwave induced surface enhanced pollutant adsorption and photocatalytic degradation on Ag/TiO2

Piezo-promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species and the photodegradation of organic pollutants

Pyroelectricity effect on photoactivating palladium nanoparticles in PbTiO3 for Suzuki coupling reaction