Mineralization of clofibric acid by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes using a boron-doped diamond anode and Fe and UVA light as catalysts

This work shows that aqueous solutions of clofibric acid (2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid), the bioactive metabolite of various lipid-regulating drugs, up to saturation at pH 3.0 are efficiently and completely degraded by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes such as electro-Fenton and photoelectro-Fenton with Fe²⁺ and UVA light as catalysts using an undivided electrolytic cell with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and an O₂-diffusion cathode able to electrogenerate H₂O₂. This is feasible in these environmentally friendly methods by the production of oxidant hydroxyl radical at the BDD surface from water oxidation and in the medium from Fenton's reaction between Fe²⁺ and electrogenerated H₂O₂. The degradation process is accelerated in photoelectro-Fenton by additional photolysis of Fe³⁺ complexes under UVA irradiation. Comparative treatments by anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H₂O₂, but without Fe²⁺, yield much slower decontamination. Chloride ion is released and totally oxidized to chlorine at the BDD surface in all treatments. The decay kinetics of clofibric acid always follows a pseudo-first-order reaction. 4-Chlorophenol, 4-chlorocatechol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and 2-hydroxyisobutyric, tartronic, maleic, fumaric, formic and oxalic acids, are detected as intermediates. The ultimate product is oxalic acid, which is slowly but progressively oxidized on BDD in anodic oxidation. In electro-Fenton this acid forms Fe³⁺–oxalato complexes that can also be totally destroyed at the BDD anode, whereas in photoelectro-Fenton the mineralization rate of these complexes is enhanced by its parallel photodecarboxylation with UVA light.     

Fe2+/H2O2体系内各种自由基在氧化NO中的作用

Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系可分解产生多种氧化性自由基, 主要包括O₂^-·、·OH和HO₂·。本文实验研究了O₂^-·、·OH及HO₂·在Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系氧化NO气体过程中的作用。结果表明:在本实验条件下, O₂^-·对NO气体的氧化作用不明显;·OH及HO₂·是该体系氧化NO气体的主要活性物质, 其中·OH的氧化作用更大。加快自由基的生成速率可以增强Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系对NO气体的氧化能力, 但O₂的生成速率同时加快。只有少量·OH及HO₂·参与NO的氧化, ·OH与HO₂·之间的快速反应是Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系氧化NO过程中H₂O₂利用率低的主要原因。     

Fe2+/H2O2体系O2生成路径

掌握Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系O₂的生成路径,可为避免H₂O₂无效分解,开发经济高效的Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系利用技术指明方向。采用添加自由基捕获剂的方法,探究Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系内各种自由基对O₂生成速率的影响,进而确定O₂的生成路径。结果表明:Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系内不会产生大量O₂^-·,O₂^-·不是生成O₂的主要反应物质;O₂^-·被全部捕获后,体系中仍产生大量O₂^-·,但此时无O₂生成,证明生成O₂的反应由·OH和HO₂·两种自由基直接参与。分析认为反应·OH+HO₂·-H₂O+O₂是体系内O₂生成的主要路径。控制Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系定向生成·OH,抑制HO₂·的产生,是提高Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系中H₂O₂利用率的有效手段。     

Fe/Fe cycling promoted by Ta3N5 under visible irradiation in Fenton degradation of organic pollutants

Ta₃N₅ was synthesized by nitridation of Ta₂O₅ under NH₃ flow at 700 °C. The catalyst was pure Ta₃N₅ according to X-ray diffraction (XRD), and was about 5 nm in size with a BET specific surface area 52.8 m²/g. When Ta₃N₅ was added to Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ solution (known as Fenton-like system), most Fe³⁺ were adsorbed on the Ta₃N₅ surface and could not react with H₂O₂ in the dark, which is different from the general Fenton reaction. Under visible light irradiation, adsorbed Fe³⁺ ions were reduced to Fe²⁺ rapidly and Fe²⁺ were reoxidized by H₂O₂ on the Ta₃N₅ surface, thus a fast Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ cycling was established. Kinetics and ESR measurements supported this mechanism. The Ta₃N₅/Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ system could efficiently decompose H₂O₂ to generate hydroxyl radicals driven by visible light, which could accelerate significantly the degradation of organic molecules such as N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA), and 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP). A mechanism was proposed for iron cycling on the basis of experimental results.     

Simultaneous utilization of electro-generated O2 and H2 for H2O2 production: An upgrade of the Pd-catalytic electro-Fenton process for pollutants degradation

The Electro-Fenton (EF) process is one of the promising advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for environmental remediation. The H₂O₂ yield of EF process largely determines its performance on organic pollutants degradation. Conventional Pd-catalytic EF process generates H₂O₂ via the combination reaction of anodic O₂ and cathodic H₂. However, the relatively expensive catalyst limits its application. Herein, a hybrid Pd/activated carbon (Pd/AC)-stainless steel mesh (SS) cathode (PACSS) was proposed, which enables more efficient H₂O₂ generation. It utilizes AC, the support of Pd catalyst, as part of cathode for H₂O₂ generation via 2-electron anodic O₂ reduction, and SS serve as a current distributor. Moreover, H₂O₂ could be catalytically decomposed upon AC to generate highly reactive ·OH, which avoids the use of Fe²⁺. Compared with conventional Pd catalyst, H₂O₂ concentration obtained by PACSS cathode is 248.2% higher, the O₂ utilization efficiency was also increased from 3.2% to 10.8%. Within 50 min, 26.3%, 72.5%, and 94.0% H₂O₂ was decomposed by Pd, AC, and Pd/AC. Fluorescence detection results implied that Pd/AC is effective upon H₂O₂ activation for OH generation. Finally, iron-free EF process enabled by PACSS cathode was examined to be effective for reactive blue 19 (RB19) degradation. After continuous running for 10 cycles (500 min), the PACSS cathode was still stable for H₂O₂ generation, H₂O₂ activation, and RB19 degradation, showing its potential application for organic pollutants degradation without increase in the running cost.     

添加剂改性Fenton体系中Fe2+再生过程及机制的对比

Fe²⁺的再生直接决定Fenton体系产生的能力。选取羟胺、对苯二酚、对苯醌、亚硫酸钠4种典型添加剂,通过分析不同改性Fenton体系中Fe²⁺浓度、H₂O₂浓度、氧化还原电极电位（ORP）,揭示了Fe²⁺再生机制的差异,并进一步分析了不同添加剂与体系中H₂O₂及·OH的反应情况。结果表明：NH₂OH能快速使Fe²⁺再生,但伴随其消耗,Fe²⁺浓度不断降低。对苯二酚、对苯醌具有相似效果,两者均可大大强化Fe²⁺的再生。与NH₂OH不同,两者在体系中可迅速建立醌循环,持续还原Fe³⁺,且以两种物质或其组合均可建立循环。与上述机理均不同,Na₂SO₃会先与·OH及H₂O₂反应,因而不能有效还原Fe³⁺。实验还发现添加剂均存在与·OH的反应,其中Na₂SO₃还会消耗H₂O₂。     

Comparative evaluation of Fe and TiO2 photoassisted processes in solar photocatalytic disinfection of water

A lost of culturability of bacteria Escherichia coli K12 was observed after exposition to a solar simulator (UV–vis) in a laboratory batch photoreactor. The bacterial inactivation reactions have been carried out using titanium dioxide (TiO₂) P25 Degussa and FeCl₃ as catalysts. At the starting of the treatment, the suspensions were at their “natural” pH. An increase in the efficiency in the water disinfection was obtained when some advanced oxidation processes such as UV–vis/TiO₂, UV–vis/TiO₂/H₂O₂, UV–vis/Fe³⁺/H₂O₂, UV–vis/H₂O₂ were applied. The presence of H₂O₂ accelerates the rate of disinfection via TiO₂. The addition of Fe³⁺ (0.3 mg/l) to photocatalytic system decreases the time required for total disinfection (<1 CFU/ml), for TiO₂ concentrations ranging between 0.05 and 0.5 g/l. At TiO₂ concentrations higher than 0.5 g/l the addition of Fe³⁺ does not significantly increase the disinfection rate. The systems: Fenton (H₂O₂/Fe³⁺/dark), H₂O₂/dark, H₂O₂/TiO₂/dark showed low disinfection rate. The effective disinfection time (EDT₂₄) was reached after 60 and 30 min of illumination for the Fe³⁺ and TiO₂ photoassisted systems, respectively. EDT₂₄ was not reached for the system in the absence of catalyst (UV–vis). The effect on the bacterial inactivation of different mixture of chemical substance added to natural water was studied.     

抗坏血酸对Fe2+/H2O2体系氧化NO的促进作用

采用实验方法研究了低成本环境友好型添加剂抗坏血酸(AA)对Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系氧化NO气体及其对体系内H₂O₂分解的影响,分析了AA对体系氧化NO能力及H₂O₂分解的影响机制。研究结果表明:AA通过加速Fe³⁺向Fe²⁺的转化而促进Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系对NO的氧化。[AA]₀:[Fe²⁺]₀对体系氧化NO的能力及H₂O₂的分解具有重要影响。综合考虑NO氧化脱除量及H₂O₂消耗量,合理的[AA]₀:[Fe²⁺]₀为1/3~1/2。AA的分次添加方式可大幅度提升体系氧化NO气体的能力。研究结果可望为发展基于H₂O₂为氧化剂的烟气NO绿色氧化技术提供理论基础。     

Fe2+/H2O2体系降解MB机制及影响因素研究

以亚甲基蓝（MB）作为目标污染物，实验研究了Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系降解MB的活性物质，明确了主要反应条件对MB降解的影响特性。结果表明：HO₂?没有直接降解MB的能力；Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系对MB的降解能力主要来自于?OH；Fe²⁺/H₂O₂体系降解MB可分为快速反应阶段和匀速反应阶段。快速反应阶段的MB降解率随温度升高而下降。体系对MB降解能力随H₂O₂初始浓度增加呈现先升高后减弱的趋势，本实验条件下，最佳H₂O₂初始浓度为5 mmol·L^-1。体系对MB降解能力随Fe²⁺初始浓度的增加而单调增加。MB降解速率随MB初始浓度的增加而增加，但MB降解率随其初始浓度呈现先增大后减小的趋势。保证?OH生成速率及其有效利用是提高体系氧化能力及H₂O₂利用率的关键。     

Absence of E. coli regrowth after Fe and TiO2 solar photoassisted disinfection of water in CPC solar photoreactor

Field disinfection of water in a large solar compound parabolic collector (CPC) photoreactor (35–70 l) was conducted at 35 °C by different photocatalytic processes: sunlight/TiO₂, sunlight/TiO₂/Fe³⁺, sunlight/Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ and compared to the control experiment of direct sunlight alone. Experiments were carried out using a CPC and natural water spiked with E. coli K 12. Under these conditions, total disinfection by bare sunlight irradiation was not reached after 5 h of treatment; and bacterial recovery was observed during the subsequent 24 h in the dark.

The addition of TiO₂, TiO₂/Fe³⁺ or Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ to the water accelerates the bactericidal action of sunlight, leading to total disinfection by solar-photocatalysis. No bacterial regrowth was observed during 24 h after stopping sunlight exposure. For some samples, the decrease of bacteria continues in the dark. A “residual disinfection effect” was observed for these samples before reaching the total inactivation. The effective disinfection time (EDT₂₄), defined as the treatment time required to prevent any bacterial regrowth during the subsequent 24 h in the dark, after stopping the phototreatment, was reached in the presence but not in the absence of different photocatalytic systems. EDT₂₄ was 2 h 30 min, 2 h and 1 h 30 min for sunlight/TiO₂, sunlight/TiO₂/Fe³⁺ and sunlight/Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ systems, respectively. The post irradiation events observed when the phototreated water is poured into an optimal growth medium are also discussed.     

Catalytic wet oxidation of H2S to sulfur on Fe/MgO catalyst

The room temperature wet catalytic oxidation was conducted in a batch reactor with Fe/MgO catalyst. Fe/MgO catalyst was prepared by the dissolution–precipitation method. XRD and temperature-programmed reductions (TPR) indicate that Fe oxide in the Fe/MgO is finely dispersed in the MgO support. The high H₂S removal capacities of Fe/MgO can be explained by the finely dispersed iron oxide MgO. The H₂S removal capacities of Fe/MgO are dependent on oxygen partial pressure (1.0 g H₂S/g_cat in air and 2.6 g H₂S/g_cat in oxygen). The valence state analysis of Fe/MgO catalyst suggests that the H₂S oxidation on Fe/MgO can occur by a redox couple reaction, reducing Fe³⁺ into Fe²⁺ by H₂S and oxidizing Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ by O₂.     

The kinetics of phenol decomposition under UV irradiation with and without H2O2 on TiO2, Fe–TiO2 and Fe–C–TiO2 photocatalysts

H₂O₂ used in the photo-Fenton reaction with iron catalyst can accelerate the oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ under UV irradiation and in the dark (in the so called dark Fenton process). It was proved that conversion of phenol under UV irradiation in the presence of H₂O₂ predominantly produces highly hydrophilic products and catechol, which can accelerate the rate of phenol decomposition. However, while H₂O₂ under UV irradiation could decompose phenol to highly hydrophilic products and dihydroxybenzenes in a very short time, complete mineralization proceeded rather slowly. When H₂O₂ is used for phenol decomposition in the presence of TiO₂ and Fe–TiO₂, decrease of OH radicals formed on the surface of TiO₂ and Fe–TiO₂ has been observed and photodecomposition of phenol is slowed down. In case of phenol decomposition under UV irradiation on Fe–C–TiO₂ photocatalyst in the presence of H₂O₂, marked acceleration of the decomposition rate is observed due to the photo-Fenton reactions: Fe²⁺ is likely oxidized to Fe³⁺, which is then efficiently recycled to Fe²⁺ by the intermediate products formed during phenol decomposition, such as hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol.     

Partial oxidation of propane on Nafion supported catalytic membranes

Nafion supported catalytic membranes were found to be effective in the partial oxidation of propane to oxygenates with H₂O₂ in the presence of Fe²⁺ under mild conditions. The influence of [Fe²⁺] and [H₂O₂] on the reaction rate and product distribution in the temperature range 80–110°C has been ascertained. A reaction pathway involving the electrophilic activation of propane on superacid sites and subsequent reaction of the activated propane molecules with OH radicals generated by Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ Fenton system is discussed.     

Degradation of pesticides in water using solar advanced oxidation processes

Alachlor, atrazine and diuron dissolved in water at 50, 25 and 30 mg/L, respectively were photodegraded by Fe²⁺/H₂O₂, Fe³⁺/H₂O₂, TiO₂ and TiO₂/Na₂S₂O₈ treatments driven by solar energy at pilot-plant scale using a compound parabolic collector (CPC) photoreactor. All the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) employed mainly compared the TOC mineralisation rate to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Parent compound disappearance, anion release and oxidant consumption are discussed as a function of treatment time. The use of Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺ showed no influence on the reaction rate under illumination and the reaction using 10 or 55 mg/L of iron was quite similar. TiO₂/Na₂S₂O₈ showed a quicker reaction rate than TiO₂ and a similar rate compared to photo-Fenton. The main difference found was between TiO₂/Na₂S₂O₈ and photo-Fenton, detected during atrazine degradation, where pesticide transformation into cyanuric acid was confirmed only for TiO₂/Na₂S₂O₈.     

撞击流反应器制备纳米四氧化三铁的研究

在浸没式循环撞击流反应器中,以氨水为沉淀剂,用七水合硫酸亚铁和六水合三氯化铁为原料,采用共沉淀法制备了纳米四氧化三铁粒子。考察了搅拌转速、亚铁与三价铁物质的量比、反应温度和溶液pH对所得纳米四氧化三铁的分散性和粒径的影响。采用傅里叶红外光谱仪、透射电镜、X射线衍射仪等对制得的纳米粒子的结构和性能进行了表征。结果表明：用撞击流反应器制备纳米四氧化三铁粒子的最佳工艺条件：亚铁与三价铁物质的量比为1 ∶1,反应温度为40 ℃,搅拌转速为1 600 r/min,以氨水作沉淀剂,最佳pH控制在11.0左右。在上述条件下,可以制备出分散性好、纯度高、平均粒径为10 nm的四氧化三铁粒子。     

Mineralization of paracetamol by ozonation catalyzed with Fe, Cu and UVA light

Acid solutions containing up to 1 g l⁻¹ of the drug paracetamol have been treated with ozone alone and ozonation catalyzed with Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺ and/or UVA light at 25.0 °C. Direct ozonation yields poor degradation due to the high stability of final carboxylic acids formed, whereas more than 83% of mineralization is attained with the catalyzed methods. Under UVA irradiation, organics can be efficiently destroyed by the combined action of generated H₂O₂ and UVA light. In the presence of Fe²⁺ and UVA light, the process is accelerated due to the production of oxidant hydroxyl radical (OH) and the photodecomposition of Fe³⁺ complexes. The highest oxidizing power is achieved by combining Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺ and UVA light, because complexes of final acids with Cu²⁺ are more quickly degraded than those competitively formed with Fe³⁺. For all catalyzed methods, the initial mineralization rate is enhanced and the percent of degradation generally drops with increasing drug concentration. The paracetamol decay always follows a pseudo-first-order reaction with slightly higher rate constant for catalyzed systems than direct ozonation. Aromatic products such as hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and 2-hydroxy-4-(N-acetyl)aminophenol are identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and reversed-phase chromatography. Acetamide is generated when hydroquinone is produced. These products are degraded to oxalic and oxamic acids as ultimate carboxylic acids, as detected by GC–MS and ion-exclusion chromatography. Oxalic acid is generated via glycolic, glyoxylic, tartronic, ketomalonic and maleic acids. While Fe³⁺-oxalato complexes are photolyzed by UVA light, Cu²⁺-oxalato, Fe³⁺-oxamato and Cu²⁺-oxamato complexes are oxidized with OH. NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ ions are produced during mineralization.     

Decolorization of reactive brilliant red X-3B by heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction using an Fe–Ce bimetal catalyst

Decolorization of reactive brilliant red X-3B was studied by using an Fe–Ce oxide hydrate as the heterogeneous catalyst in the presence of H₂O₂ and UV. The decolorization rate was in the order of UV–Fe–Ce–H₂O₂ > UV–Fe³⁺–H₂O₂ > UV–H₂O₂ > UV–Fe–Ce ≥ Fe–Ce–H₂O₂ > Fe–Ce. Under the conditions of 34 mg l⁻¹ H₂O₂, 0.500 g l⁻¹ Fe–Ce, 36 W UV and pH 3.0, 100 mg l⁻¹ X-3B could be decolorized at efficiency of more than 99% within 30 min. The maximum dissolved Fe during the reaction was 1 mg l⁻¹. From the fact that the decolorization rate of the UV–Fe–Ce–H₂O₂ system was significantly higher than that of the UV–Fe³⁺–H₂O₂ system at Fe³⁺ = 1 mg l⁻¹, it is clear that the Fe–Ce functioned mainly as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst. UV–vis, its second derivative spectra, and ion chromatography (IC) were employed to investigate the degradation pathway. Fast degradation after adsorption of X-3B is the dominant mechanism in the heterogeneous catalytic oxidation system. The first degradation step is the breaking down of azo and CN bonds, resulting in the formation of the aniline- and phenol-like compounds. Then, the breaking down of the triazine structure occurred together with the transformation of naphthalene rings to multi-substituted benzene, and the cutting off of sulphonic groups from the naphthalene rings. The last step includes further decomposition of the aniline structure and partial mineralization of X-3B.     

OXIDATIVE REACTIONS OF PHENOL AND CHLOROBENZENE WITH IN SITU ELECTROGENERATED FENTON'S REAGENT

Oxidative reactions of phenol and chlorobenzene with electrogenerated Fenton's reagent, Fe²⁺ + H₂O₂, were investigated. The electrogeneration of H₂O₂ and the regeneration of Fe²⁺ were performed at a graphite cathode. Results are compared for conventional vs. electrogenerated Fenton's reagent. It was found that the conversion of chlorobenzene was substantially greater by the electrochemical method than the conventional system. The rates of H₂O₂ generation were dependent on solution pH; electrogeneration was favored at low pH, while the opposite was the case for the hydroxylation of the organics. The hydroxylation products of phenol with electrogenerated Fenton's reagent included hydroquinone, catechol and resorcinol. For chlorobenzene, a hydroxylated product (p-chlorophenol) and a dehalogenated product (phenol) were obtained. The rates of phenol and chlorobenzene hydroxylation were dependent on pH, and concentrations of F²⁺ and H₂O₂. Results indicated that the electrochemical system provided an efficient way to regenerate Fe²⁺     

Selective catalytic reduction of N2O in industrial emissions containing O2, H2O and SO2: behavior of Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts

The catalytic behavior in N₂O reduction by propane in the presence of O₂, H₂O and SO₂ of Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by ion exchange and chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is reported. The catalyst prepared by CVD shows a lower dependence of the rate of selective N₂O reduction on the decrease in C₃H₈ to N₂O ratio in the feed and a higher resistance to deactivation by SO₂ in accelerated durability tests with high SO₂ concentration (500 ppm). This catalyst shows stable catalytic behavior in the presence of SO₂ for more than 600 h of time-on-stream. Characterization of the catalysts by UV–VIS–NIR diffuse reflectance indicates that the poor performances of the sample prepared by ion exchange could be related to the presence of highly clustered Fe³⁺ species, in this catalyst. On the other hand, Fe₂O₃ particles are not present in the sample prepared by CVD while mainly isolated Fe³⁺ ions and iron-oxide nanoclusters are present.     

On the mechanism of model diesel soot-O2 reaction catalysed by Pt-containing La-doped CeO2: A TAP study with isotopic O2

Pt supported on CeO₂ and 10 wt.% La³⁺-doped CeO₂ catalysts have been prepared, characterised and tested for soot oxidation by O₂ in TGA. The reaction mechanism has been studied in a TAP reactor with labelled O₂. Isotopic oxygen exchange between molecular O₂ and ‘O’ on the support/catalyst was observed and soot oxidation is being carried out by lattice oxygen. TAP studies further show that Pt improves O₂ adsorption and, therefore, 5 wt.% Pt-containing catalysts are more active for soot oxidation than the counterpart supports. In addition, CeO₂ doping by La³⁺ leads to an improved support, since La³⁺ stabilises the structure of CeO₂ when calcined at high temperature (1000 °C) and minimises sintering. In addition, La³⁺ improves the Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ reduction as deduced from H₂-TPR experiments and favours oxygen mobility into the lattice. A synergetic effect of Pt and La³⁺ is observed, Pt-containing La³⁺-doped CeO₂ being the most active catalyst for soot oxidation by O₂ among the samples studied.