New double z-scheme photocatalyst for selective removal of sulfamethoxazole in water
2023-09-15
(Press-News.org)
In a new study published on 26 July 2023, in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, researchers from Harbin Institute of Technology, have developed a novel double Z-scheme photocatalyst, called the molecularly imprinted TiO2@Fe2O3@g-C3N4 (MFTC) composite, that selectively removes SMX from water.
Traditional photocatalytic methods have faced challenges with selectivity, often causing the indiscriminate degradation of organic pollutants and coexisting contaminants at high concentrations. However, the MFTC composite was purposefully designed to overcome this limitation by incorporating molecularly imprinted sites on its surface. These specialized sites exhibit a unique ability to recognize and enhance the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), making the MFTC highly effective in selectively targeting SMX in the presence of other pollutants like sulfadiazine (SDZ), ibuprofen (IBU), and bisphenol A (BPA). In simulated wastewater conditions, the MFTC composite impressively demonstrated a selective degradation efficiency rate of 96.8% for SMX, nearly twice as effective as competing catalysts for other pollutants. The "lock and key" mechanism of the molecularly imprinted sites played a pivotal role in selectively capturing SMX, resulting in superior performance. The degradation process of SMX by the MFTC photocatalytic system involved the generation of •OH and •O2− free radicals, which facilitated the removal of SMX through a newly proposed double Z-scheme mechanism. This mechanism enhanced charge carrier transfer and separation, leading to significantly improved photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the MFTC composite showcased remarkable stability and recyclability over multiple cycles, making it a promising and practical solution for water treatment applications. The exceptional performance and selectivity of the MFTC composite offer exciting prospects for the advancement of efficient and selective photocatalysts, contributing to the development of eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions for water purification and environmental remediation.
Highlights
A novel double Z-scheme molecular imprinted (MI) photocatalyst was prepared.
MI sites exhibited preferential recognition of sulfamethoxazole (SMX).
Enhanced and selective oxidation of SMX was achieved in solar light.
The band structure and degradation mechanism were calculated based on DFT.
g-C3N4 served as electron ponds in the photocatalytic system.
This groundbreaking research not only provides valuable insights into the selective removal of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) but also opens the door for further exploration of molecularly imprinted nanocomposite materials in selectively eliminating other pharmaceutical residues and organic pollutants.
###
References
DOI
10.1016/j.ese.2023.100308
Funding information
The National Natural Science Foundation of China (52170073), The National Engineering Research Center for Bioenergy (2021A001), The Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (Harbin Institute of Technology) (HCK202112).
About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 12.6, according to the Journal Citation ReportTM 2022.
END
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2023-09-15
About The Study: The findings of this study of 44,000 low-income, working-age adults suggest that the direct cost of providing public health insurance to immigrants is less than that for the U.S. born, and immigrants’ health care utilization, upon coverage, remains comparatively modest, thus refuting the notion that providing insurance to immigrants imposes a heavy fiscal burden.
Authors: Felix M. Muchomba, Ph.D., of the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, is the corresponding author.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34008)
Editor’s ...
2023-09-15
· How two sisters’ misfortune led to discovery
· Findings open a new avenue for therapies
· Drugs need to target neuron synapses before neurons degenerate
CHICAGO --- A new Northwestern Medicine study challenges a common belief in what triggers Parkinson’s disease.
Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons is widely accepted as the first event that leads to Parkinson’s. But the new study suggests that a dysfunction in the neuron’s synapses — the tiny gap across which a neuron can send an impulse to another neuron — leads to deficits in dopamine and precedes the neurodegeneration.
Parkinson’s disease ...
2023-09-15
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bsheal.2023.07.003
Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV) that has been primarily limited to Central and West African nations since its discovery. The recent spread of the West African lineage of MPXV in historically unaffected countries has raised concerns for global public health. Despite a significant decrease in global mpox cases, there is still a risk of a global resurgence. This study reports the first local case of mpox caused by an imported case in the Chinese mainland. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosed the two ...
2023-09-15
https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.15212/ZOONOSES-2023-0016
Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Members of the genus, Klebsiella, are becoming increasingly challenging to control due to the recent convergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) phenotypes in some species of concern to One Health .
This article provides an introduction to this bacterial genus in the hospital and other settings, update Klebsiella taxonomy, and comment on recent findings describing the prevalence of Klebsiella species in the food chain, a hitherto infrequently recognised ecologic niche. The paper also ...
2023-09-15
Customers showing up even when they were sick, not agreeing with the restrictions, and many new tasks for staff. These are factors that contributed to heavier workloads and tougher work environments in pharmacies during the pandemic, a study reveals.
The scientific study, published in the journal Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, was conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Åbo Akademi University.
The data consists of a questionnaire that was distributed to all ...
2023-09-15
Home-delivery services perpetually compete for the consumer’s attention not only through advertisements but also through methods that reduce basket decision time or make new suggestions. Current research on the topic focuses on optimizing delivery schedules and minimizing costs. However, neither the insufficiency of home delivery options for some cities nor the bigger problem of high carbon emissions due to the abundance of it, are resolved.
A new study conducted by Koç University Industrial Engineering Department professor Barış Yıldız takes a fresh perspective ...
2023-09-15
About The Study: Receiving at least two doses of wild-type BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer) was associated with a reduced risk of COVID-19 emergency department or urgent care and outpatient visits in children younger than five years. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 encounters appeared lower for those with two versus three doses of BNT162b2, albeit with wide CIs, which is likely due to more immune-evasive Omicron sublineages (e.g., BQ.1-related and XBB-related strains) becoming dominant by the time young children received their third dose and longer median time since dose three compared with dose two.
Authors: Sara Y. Tartof, Ph.D., M.P.H., of ...
2023-09-15
New analysis of pilot studies on night shift naps conducted from 2012 to 2018 revealed the ideal snoozing strategy that might help counteract drowsiness and fatigue during a 16-hour overnight duty. The findings can also benefit new parents.
Reanalysis of data showed that when staying up all night, scheduling two nap sessions — a 90-minute one followed by a quick 30-minute shut-eye later — is the optimal choice over a single 120-minute snooze in putting off drowsiness and fatigue. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“A 90-minute nap to maintain long-term performance and a ...
2023-09-15
CHICAGO — Anesthesiology researchers are responsible for some of medicine’s most significant advances, from the Apgar score that tests a newborn’s health to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). But the number of medical residents in the anesthesiology physician-scientist (researcher) pipeline trails other specialties, particularly among women, according to findings of the Anesthesia Research Council (ARC), published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Out of eleven medical specialties, anesthesiology ranked eighth both for the percentage of entering residents ...
2023-09-15
PHILADELPHIA—For his work discovering the basis for hemoglobin gene switching and applying those insights to develop a therapy for sickle cell disease and other blood diseases, the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania awarded Stuart Orkin, MD the third Elaine Redding Brinster Prize in Science or Medicine.
Orkin’s research advanced the understanding of how the fetal hemoglobin gene— the main oxygen carrier protein in the human fetus—is silenced in adults. He also developed a therapy that re-activates the fetal gene for adult hemoglobin gene defects, which cause ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] New double z-scheme photocatalyst for selective removal of sulfamethoxazole in water
