Solar-driven on-site H2O2 generation and tandem photo-Fenton reaction on a triphase interface for rapid organic pollutant degradation

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2022-02, Vol.430, p.133168, Article 133168
• Main Authors: Ju, Yujun, Li, Hua, Wang, Ze, Liu, Hanwen, Huo, Shuhui, Jiang, Shan, Duan, Sicong, Yao, Yonggang, Lu, Xiaoquan, Chen, Fengjuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Environmental remediation; Photo-Fenton; Photocatalytic in-situ generation H2O2; Triphase interface; Water treatment
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.133168

[Display omitted] •An air–liquid-solid triphase photocatalytic system was designed.•O2 in air phase could rapidly diffuse to the photocatalysts (hydrophilic interface).•The photo generation rate of H2O2 from O2 and H2O is reached 4370 μmol h−1.•The on-site generation of H2O2 was decomposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) by photo-Fenton.•Degradation efficiency for organic pollutants is higher than 99% in 130 min. Organic pollutants in wastewater have raised great concerns because of their considerable risk to human health and the ecosystem. Although Fenton reaction of advanced oxidation process represents a promising water treatment strategy. However, continuous consumption and low utilization efficiency of H2O2 limit its practical application. Herein, we propose photocatalytic in-situ production and activation H2O2 at triphase interface to reach excellent removal efficiency for contaminants. The triphase interface configuration allows oxygen rapid diffusion from the air to the surface of photocatalyst and avoids the problem of poor mass transfer of oxygen in solution. Meanwhile, using the Z-type heterojunction MIL-101(Fe)/g−C3N4 as model photocatalysts could largely promote the photo-induced electrons and holes separation efficiency to further improve reaction efficiency. As a result, the triphase photocatalytic system achieved an in-situ H2O2 production rate of 4370 μmol h−1 (greater than5 times higher than the diphase control) and a superior degradation efficiency for organic pollutants (model pollutant: methyl orange, concentration: 10 ppm, 99% removal rate in 130 min, while only 21% in diphase control) with a 17.5 times higher reaction rate constant. Therefore, the triphase photocatalytic system realized the highly efficient degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater by solar-driven, in-situ generation and activation of H2O2 with high catalytic activity and minimized oxygen transport limitation, thus providing a green and sustainable strategy for wastewater treatment and broadly environmental remediation.