The detection methods and generation mechanisms of the intrinsic reactive oxygen species (ROS), i.e., superoxide anion radical (•O2–), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (1O2), and hydroxyl radical (•OH) in photocatalysis, were surveyed comprehensively. Consequently, the major photocatalyst used in heterogeneous photocatalytic systems was found to be TiO2. However, besides TiO2 some representative photocatalysts were also involved in the discussion. Among the various issues we focused on the detection methods and generation reactions of ROS in the aqueous suspensions of photocatalysts. On the careful account of the experimental results presented so far, we proposed the following apprehension: adsorbed •OH could be regarded as trapped holes, which are involved in a rapid adsorption–desorption equilibrium at the TiO2–solution interface. Because the equilibrium shifts to the adsorption side, trapped holes must be actually the dominant oxidation species whereas •OH in solution would exert the reactivity...

Generation and Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species in Photocatalysis

Landfill leachate treatment: Review and opportunity

Plastics debris in the marine environment, including resin pellets, fragments and microscopic plastic fragments, contain organic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides (2,2′-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane, hexachlorinated hexanes), polybrominated diphenylethers, alkylphenols and bisphenol A, at concentrations from sub ng g–1 to µg g–1. Some of these compounds are added during plastics manufacture, while others adsorb from the surrounding seawater. Concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants adsorbed on plastics showed distinct spatial variations reflecting global pollution patterns. Model calculations and experimental observations consistently show that polyethylene accumulates more organic contaminants than other plastics such as polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. Both a mathematical model using equilibrium partitioning and experimental data have demonstrated the transfer of contaminants from plastic to organisms. A feeding experiment indicated that PCBs could transfer from contaminated plastics to streaked shearwater chicks. Plasticizers, other plastics additives and constitutional monomers also present potential threats in terrestrial environments because they can leach from waste disposal sites into groundwater and/or surface waters. Leaching and degradation of plasticizers and polymers are complex phenomena dependent on environmental conditions in the landfill and the chemical properties of each additive. Bisphenol A concentrations in leachates from municipal waste disposal sites in tropical Asia ranged from sub µg l–1 to mg l–1 and were correlated with the level of economic development.

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Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife

The stability of two-dimensional (2D) layers and membranes is subject of a long standing theoretical debate. According to the so called Mermin-Wagner theorem, long wavelength fluctuations destroy the long-range order for 2D crystals. Similarly, 2D membranes embedded in a 3D space have a tendency to be crumpled. These dangerous fluctuations can, however, be suppressed by anharmonic coupling between bending and stretching modes making that a two-dimensional membrane can exist but should present strong height fluctuations. The discovery of graphene, the first truly 2D crystal and the recent experimental observation of ripples in freely hanging graphene makes these issues especially important. Beside the academic interest, understanding the mechanisms of stability of graphene is crucial for understanding electronic transport in this material that is attracting so much interest for its unusual Dirac spectrum and electronic properties. Here we address the nature of these height fluctuations by means of straightforward atomistic Monte Carlo simulations based on a very accurate many-body interatomic potential for carbon. We find that ripples spontaneously appear due to thermal fluctuations with a size distribution peaked around 70 \AA which is compatible with experimental findings (50-100 \AA) but not with the current understanding of stability of flexible membranes. This unexpected result seems to be due to the multiplicity of chemical bonding in carbon.

Intrinsic ripples in graphene

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), defined as those technologies that utilize the hydroxyl radical (·OH) for oxidation, have received increasing attention in the research and development of wastewater treatment technologies in the last decades. These processes have been applied successfully for the removal or degradation of toxic pollutants or used as pretreatment to convert recalcitrant pollutants into biodegradable compounds that can then be treated by conventional biological methods. The efficacy of AOPs depends on the generation of reactive free radicals, the most important of which is the hydroxyl radical (·OH). The authors summarize the formation reactions of ·OH and the mechanisms of pollutants degradation. They cover six types of advanced oxidation processes, including radiation, photolysis and photocatalysis, sonolysis, electrochemical oxidation technologies, Fenton-based reactions, and ozone-based processes. Controversial issues in pollutants degradation mechanism were discussed. They review t...

Advanced Oxidation Processes for Wastewater Treatment: Formation of Hydroxyl Radical and Application

Adsorption of uranium (VI) from aqueous solution onto cross-linked chitosan

The oxidation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the surface of magnetite used as heterogeneous catalyst has been investigated under various experimental conditions (initial substrate concentration, H2O2 dose, solid loading and temperature) at neutral pH and correlated with the adsorption behavior. The surface reactivity of magnetite was evaluated by conducting the kinetic study of both H2O2 decomposition and PCP oxidation experiments. The occurrence of the optimum values of H2O2 and magnetite concentrations for the effective degradation of PCP could be explained by the scavenging reactions with H2O2 or iron oxide surface. The surface interactions with PCP in the absence and the presence of oxidant can be well described by Langmuir and Langmuir–Hinshelwood models, respectively. All batch experiments indicate that Fenton-like oxidation of PCP was controlled by surface mechanism reaction and the species compete with each other for adsorption on a fixed number of surface active sites. The apparent degradation rate was dominated by the rate of intrinsic chemical reactions on the oxide surface rather than the rate of mass transfer. Raman analysis suggested that the sorbed PCP was removed form magnetite surface at the first stage of oxidation reaction. The mineralization determined by TOC abatement was completed after 7 d, while total dechlorination was achieved at 4 d treatment time. The first reaction of PCP oxidation should be the dechlorination since 90% of chloride was formed at the first 30 h corresponding to the total disappearance of parent compound. All X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Mossbauer spectroscopy and chemical analyses showed that the magnetite catalyst exhibited low iron leaching, good structural stability and no loss of performance in second reaction cycle.

Adsorption and oxidation of PCP on the surface of magnetite: Kinetic experiments and spectroscopic investigations

The effect of chelating agents on the Fenton heterogeneous oxidation rate of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) was investigated in opened batch reactor at neutral pH. Six kinds of chelating agents (CA) were selected including EDTA, CMCD, oxalate, tartrate, citrate and succinate. The PCP oxidation rate in the Fenton-like system was significantly improved by using chelating agents at neutral pH. This observation was supported by the increased concentration of chloride produced by the degradation of PCP. The enhancement factor of heterogeneous oxidation rate was found to be not correlated with that of dissolved iron amount. However, the propagation of homogeneous reaction by the dissolved iron contributed to the improvement of the whole oxidation rate. In homogeneous Fenton system (dissolved Fe2+ or Fe3+), EDTA-driven Fenton reaction showed the highest oxidation rate, while oxalate seems to be more efficient in heterogeneous Fenton system (Fe3O4). In fact, EDTA can bind more strongly than oxalate to magnetite surface and compete more actively than H2O2 or PCP for the sorption on the surface active sites. Decrease in H2O2 decomposition rate value was observed when EDTA is previously adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The surface mechanism of oxidant with iron sites on the catalyst surface appears to be the rate-determining step in heterogeneous Fenton system.

Nansheng Deng

Papers

Adsorption of uranium (VI) from aqueous solution onto cross-linked chitosan

Adsorption and oxidation of PCP on the surface of magnetite: Kinetic experiments and spectroscopic investigations

Effect of chelating agent on the oxidation rate of PCP in the magnetite/H2O2 system at neutral pH

Fenton-like oxidation of Rhodamine B in the presence of two types of iron (II, III) oxide.

Photodegradation of acetaminophen in TiO2 suspended solution