Junjing Li

Preparation and characterization of palladium nano-crystallite decorated TiO2 nano-tubes photoelectrode and its enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for degradation of diclofenac

TiO2 has been considered as a versatile candidate for the photoelectrochemical (PECH) application. In this study, Pd nano-crystallite decorated TiO₂ nano-tubes (Pd/TNTs) photoelectrode was prepared through electrochemical deposition. The resulting Pd/TNTs samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, DRS and XPS. It was found that the decorated Pd nano-crystallite existed in the form of Pd(0) with an average diameter of 30 nm, and could improve the light absorption in visible region. In addition, PECH properties of Pd/TNTs photoanode were investigated through transient open circuit potential, photocurrent response, electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott-Schottky analysis. Moreover, the generation rate of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) was detected by a photoluminescence (PL) spectra using terephthalic acid (TA) as a probe molecule. Results showed that Pd/TNTs photoelectrode exhibited high transient photoinduced current of 0.094 mA cm(-2), open circuit photovoltage of -0.339 mV cm(-2) and effective photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) efficiency of 67.7% (0.4V vs. SCE) for the degradation of diclofenac (DCF). The high PC and PEC efficiency could mainly be attributed to the decoration of Pd nano-crystallite which could provide pathway for the transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. Furthermore, the contribution of series of active species was applied to clarify the enhanced PC mechanism.

Reuse of sewage sludge as a catalyst in ozonation – Efficiency for the removal of oxalic acid and the control of bromate formation

Sewage derived sludge is produced with an annual amount increase of 2% all over the world and it is an urgent issue to be addressed by human being. In the present study, sludge was converted into sludge-based catalyst (SBC) with ZnCl2 as activation agent and characterized by several methods (e.g., scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscope). Then it was used as a catalyst to enhance the removal of refractory organic matter, oxalic acid, and to control the formation of bromate (BrO3-) in bench semi-continuous ozonation experiments. The effects of various operating parameters on the control of BrO3- formation were investigated. Furthermore, the mechanism for the enhancement of organic matter removal and the control of BrO3- formation was discussed as well. Results indicate that the combination of SBC with ozone shows a strong synergistic effect, resulting in a notable improvement on oxalic acid removal. A crucial surface reaction mechanism for the enhancement of organic matter removal is proposed on the basis of negative effect of higher pH and no inhibition effect of tert-butanol. The control for BrO3- formation was demonstrated and the reason for its control in the process of O3/SBC is the combined effect of SBC reductive properties, ozone exposure decrease and hydrogen peroxide concentration increase.

Preparation and electrochemical properties of Ce–Ru–SnO2 ternary oxide anode and electrochemical oxidation of nitrophenols

A cerium doped ternary SnO(2) based oxides anode that is CeO(2)-RuO(2)-SnO(2) (Ce-Ru-SnO(2)) anode, was prepared by facile thermal decomposition technique. XRD was used to characterize the crystal structures of modified SnO(2) anodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and accelerated life test were also utilized to study the electrochemical property of Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode. The results indicated that Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode possessed smaller charge transfer resistance and longer service life than other modified SnO(2) anodes. Oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite ions were determined. Electrochemical oxidation of nitrophenols (NPs) were conducted and compared with previous studies. The degradation of nitrophenols revealed two distinguishing laws for mononitrophenol and multinitrophenols. The Ce-Ru-SnO(2) anode is considered to be a promising material for the treatment of organic pollutants due to its high electrochemical activity and benign stability.