Decontaminating Wastewater Using Floating Photocatalysts

A new photocatalyst developed by a group of chemists could potentially solve the problem of limited drinking water and help decontaminate and reuse wastewater.

In a study published in Advanced Sustainable Systems, the team outlined how they developed a photocatalyst that can be reused and, unlike other photocatalysts, is in non-powder form:

"The use of materials in powder form remains limited from a practical viewpoint due to the difficult separation and/or recovery from the reaction mixture for sustainable reuse."

Led by Prof. Claudia Bianci from the University of Milan, the team created catalysts with porous clay beads to keep them afloat and easy to remove from the water. The clay used is non-reactive to other materials and is safe to use underwater, posing zero threat to the aquatic ecosystems.

They also incorporated bismuth oxybromide layers onto the clay beads' surface to enable high photocatalytic activities. Bismuth oxybromide was chosen because it is chemically stable and possesses high photocatalytic activity.

She explained that the light activates the electrons in the photocatalyst, forcing them to move toward the surface of the material to react and break down carbon-containing molecules in the water:

"Sunlight strikes the surface of bismuth oxybromide, energizing electrons to move from the valence band to the conduction band, thereby creating electron-hole pairs."

The team tested their floating photocatalyst and discovered it effectively eliminates diclofenac, even when using a reused catalyst. However, the same results were not achieved when tested with ibuprofen, another commonly used drug.

Prof. Bianci added, "We are currently extending our research to evaluate the device's capability in also addressing other organic contaminants, including dyes and polyphenols, whether individually or in mixtures, commonly found in natural water bodies."

Read the full article here to learn more about the floating photocatalyst and the team's plans for further research.

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