Application of advanced materials in sonophotocatalytic processes for the remediation of environmental pollutants

Jayaraman Theerthagiri; Seung Jun Lee; K Karuppasamy; Subramanian Arulmani; S Veeralakshmi; Muthupandian Ashokkumar; Myong Yong Choi

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125245

Application of advanced materials in sonophotocatalytic processes for the remediation of environmental pollutants

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Jun 15:412:125245. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125245. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Authors

Jayaraman Theerthagiri¹, Seung Jun Lee¹, K Karuppasamy², Subramanian Arulmani³, S Veeralakshmi⁴, Muthupandian Ashokkumar⁵, Myong Yong Choi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Core-Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials, Department of Chemistry, Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea.
² Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Chemistry, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam 638401, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁴ Department of Applied Science and Technology, A.C. Tech. Campus, Anna University, Chennai 600025, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁵ School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
⁶ Core-Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials, Department of Chemistry, Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: mychoi@gnu.ac.kr.

PMID: 33545645
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125245

Abstract

Significant advances in various industrial processes have resulted in the discharge of toxic pollutants into the environment. Consequently, it is essential to develop efficient wastewater treatment processes to reduce water contamination and increase recycling/reuse. Photocatalytic degradation is considered as an efficient method for the degradation of toxic pollutants in industrial wastewater. However, the use of photocatalytic approaches is associated with numerous limitations, such as lengthy procedures and the necessity for large amounts of catalysts. Hence, it has been proposed that photocatalysis could be combined with other techniques, including sonolysis, electrochemical, photothermal, microwave, ultrafiltration, and biological reactor. The integration of photocatalysis with sonolysis could be remarkably beneficial for environmental remediation. The combination of these processes has the advantages of using uniformly dispersed catalysts, regeneration of the catalyst surface, improved mass transfer, enhanced surface area due to smaller catalyst particles, and production of more active radicals for the degradation of organic pollutants. In this review, an overview on employing sonophotocatalysis for the removal of toxic organic contaminants from aqueous environments is provided. Additionally, the limitations of photocatalysis alone and the fundamental sonophotocatalytic mechanistic pathways are discussed. The importance of utilizing advanced two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials in sonophotocatalysis and the common synthetic approaches for the preparation of 2D materials are also highlighted. Lastly, the review provides comprehensive insights into different materials based on metal oxides, chalcogenides, graphene, and metal organic frameworks (MOFs), which are involved in sonophotocatalytic processes employed for the remediation of environmental pollutants.

Keywords: 2D materials; Degradation; Organic pollutants; Photocatalysis; Sonophotocatalysis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't