Issue 25, 2024

Food-waste-derived hydrochar to a low-cost p-type semiconducting photocatalyst (Zn–Al@HC): multifunctional role in real wastewater treatment and environmental sustainability

Abstract

The present investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of a novel Zn–Al@HC photocatalyst supported by anaerobically digested food waste-derived hydrochar (HC) for the photocatalytic activation of peroxydisulphate (PDS) and abatement of salicylic acid (SA) in the UV/PDS/Zn–Al@HC system. The morphological and photo-electrochemical characterization of Zn–Al@HC supported the formation of ZnAl2O4 crystals and the contraction of band gap energy from 3.80 eV (ZnAl2O4) to 2.36 eV (Zn–Al@HC) by the inclusion of HC (1.86 eV) as a carbon-based support material. Moreover, a remarkable reduction in recombination of photogenerated e/h+ was witnessed in response to UV irradiation in the UV/PDS/Zn–Al@HC system for SA degradation. Under optimal operating conditions, the proposed treatment system achieved 94.45 ± 0.65% degradation of SA. Furthermore, the radical scavenging test revealed the dominance of hydroxyl radical followed by sulphate radicals in the UV/PDS/Zn–Al@HC system, and a potential mechanism was deduced. Cyclic voltammetry for 20 repetitive cycles in a harsh medium affirms the photo-stability of Zn–Al@HC, even under real environmental conditions. The energy-economic valuation of the as-synthesized photocatalyst unveiled the total operating cost and electrical energy per order of UV/PDS/Zn–Al@HC to be 0.1536 $ per m−3 order−1 and 0.0130 kW h m−3 order−1, respectively. Thus, the system proves to be a sustainable and economical option for the management of waste and remediation of chemicals of emerging concern, which can be implemented as future large-scale technology for wastewater treatment.

Graphical abstract: Food-waste-derived hydrochar to a low-cost p-type semiconducting photocatalyst (Zn–Al@HC): multifunctional role in real wastewater treatment and environmental sustainability

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Jan 2024
Accepted
11 Mar 2024
First published
13 Mar 2024

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 15240-15253

Food-waste-derived hydrochar to a low-cost p-type semiconducting photocatalyst (Zn–Al@HC): multifunctional role in real wastewater treatment and environmental sustainability

S. Yadav, M. Priyadarshini, A. Ahmad, M. M. Ghangrekar and B. K. Dubey, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 15240 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA00460D

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