Solar light-driven simultaneous pharmaceutical pollutant degradation and green hydrogen production using a mesoporous nanoscale WO3/BiVO4 heterostructure photoanode

Katherine Rebecca Davies; Michael G. Allan; Sanjay Nagarajan; Rachel Townsend; Tom Dunlop; James D. McGettrick; Vijay Shankar Asokan; Sengeni Ananthraj; Trystan Watson; A. Ruth Godfrey; James R. Durrant; M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer; Moritz F. Kuehnel; Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu

doi:10.1016/j.jece.2023.110256

Solar light-driven simultaneous pharmaceutical pollutant degradation and green hydrogen production using a mesoporous nanoscale WO₃/BiVO₄ heterostructure photoanode

Katherine Rebecca Davies, Michael G. Allan, Sanjay Nagarajan, Rachel Townsend, Tom Dunlop, James D. McGettrick, Vijay Shankar Asokan, Sengeni Ananthraj, Trystan Watson, A. Ruth Godfrey, James R. Durrant, M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Moritz F. Kuehnel, Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Photoelectrocatalysis is one of the most favourable techniques that could be used in this remit as it has the potential to utilise natural sunlight to generate oxidants in situ to mediate effective pollutant degradation. This work, therefore, utilises a mesoporous nanoscale WO₃/BiVO₄ heterostructure photoanode to effectively degrade ibuprofen in wastewater combined with simultaneous green hydrogen generation at the cathode under simulated sunlight. A near complete degradation (>96%) of ibuprofen (starting concentration of 100 mg/L), with no hazardous intermediates (determined via mass spectrometry analysis), along with simultaneous H₂ evolution of 114 µmol/cm² after 145 min was demonstrated in this work. In addition, intermediate product analysis, the role of the type of in situ oxidants on degradation, the mechanistic pathway of degradation, and the material characteristics of mesoporous photoanode were also investigated. First experimental evidence of in situ generated H₂O₂ contributing to the degradation of ibuprofen is presented.

Original language	English
Article number	110256
Journal	Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Volume	11
Issue number	3
Early online date	1 Jun 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.110256
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
SP acknowledges European Regional Development Grant for providing Ser Cymru-II Rising Star Fellowship through Welsh Government ( 80761-SU- 102 -West ) and supports this work. Also, SP thanks Heriot-Watt University for start-up grant support. SP and MFK acknowledge support from the Welsh Government (Sêr Cymru III – Tackling Covid-19, Project 076 ReCoVir). EPSRC partially supported this work through a DTA studentship to MA ( EP/R51312X/1 ) and a capital investment grant to MK ( EP/S017925/1 ). MFK thanks Swansea University for providing start-up funds.

Funding Information:
SP acknowledges European Regional Development Grant for providing Ser Cymru-II Rising Star Fellowship through Welsh Government (80761-SU- 102 -West) and supports this work. Also, SP thanks Heriot-Watt University for start-up grant support. SP and MFK acknowledge support from the Welsh Government (Sêr Cymru III – Tackling Covid-19, Project 076 ReCoVir). EPSRC partially supported this work through a DTA studentship to MA (EP/R51312X/1) and a capital investment grant to MK (EP/S017925/1). MFK thanks Swansea University for providing start-up funds.

Keywords

Hydrogen
Pharmaceutical pollutants
Photoelectrocatalysis
Solar Energy
Wastewater treatment
WO, BiVO

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemical Engineering (miscellaneous)
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution
Process Chemistry and Technology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jece.2023.110256Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Davies, K. R., Allan, M. G., Nagarajan, S., Townsend, R., Dunlop, T., McGettrick, J. D., Asokan, V. S., Ananthraj, S., Watson, T., Godfrey, A. R., Durrant, J. R., Maroto-Valer, M. M., Kuehnel, M. F., & Pitchaimuthu, S. (2023). Solar light-driven simultaneous pharmaceutical pollutant degradation and green hydrogen production using a mesoporous nanoscale WO₃/BiVO₄ heterostructure photoanode. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering , 11(3), Article 110256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.110256

Solar light-driven simultaneous pharmaceutical pollutant degradation and green hydrogen production using a mesoporous nanoscale WO₃/BiVO₄ heterostructure photoanode. / Davies, Katherine Rebecca; Allan, Michael G.; Nagarajan, Sanjay et al.
In: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering , Vol. 11, No. 3, 110256, 30.06.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Davies, KR, Allan, MG, Nagarajan, S, Townsend, R, Dunlop, T, McGettrick, JD, Asokan, VS, Ananthraj, S, Watson, T, Godfrey, AR, Durrant, JR, Maroto-Valer, MM, Kuehnel, MF & Pitchaimuthu, S 2023, 'Solar light-driven simultaneous pharmaceutical pollutant degradation and green hydrogen production using a mesoporous nanoscale WO₃/BiVO₄ heterostructure photoanode', Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering , vol. 11, no. 3, 110256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.110256

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abstract = "Photoelectrocatalysis is one of the most favourable techniques that could be used in this remit as it has the potential to utilise natural sunlight to generate oxidants in situ to mediate effective pollutant degradation. This work, therefore, utilises a mesoporous nanoscale WO3/BiVO4 heterostructure photoanode to effectively degrade ibuprofen in wastewater combined with simultaneous green hydrogen generation at the cathode under simulated sunlight. A near complete degradation (>96%) of ibuprofen (starting concentration of 100 mg/L), with no hazardous intermediates (determined via mass spectrometry analysis), along with simultaneous H2 evolution of 114 µmol/cm2 after 145 min was demonstrated in this work. In addition, intermediate product analysis, the role of the type of in situ oxidants on degradation, the mechanistic pathway of degradation, and the material characteristics of mesoporous photoanode were also investigated. First experimental evidence of in situ generated H2O2 contributing to the degradation of ibuprofen is presented.",

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note = "Funding Information: SP acknowledges European Regional Development Grant for providing Ser Cymru-II Rising Star Fellowship through Welsh Government ( 80761-SU- 102 -West ) and supports this work. Also, SP thanks Heriot-Watt University for start-up grant support. SP and MFK acknowledge support from the Welsh Government (S{\^e}r Cymru III – Tackling Covid-19, Project 076 ReCoVir). EPSRC partially supported this work through a DTA studentship to MA ( EP/R51312X/1 ) and a capital investment grant to MK ( EP/S017925/1 ). MFK thanks Swansea University for providing start-up funds. Funding Information: SP acknowledges European Regional Development Grant for providing Ser Cymru-II Rising Star Fellowship through Welsh Government (80761-SU- 102 -West) and supports this work. Also, SP thanks Heriot-Watt University for start-up grant support. SP and MFK acknowledge support from the Welsh Government (S{\^e}r Cymru III – Tackling Covid-19, Project 076 ReCoVir). EPSRC partially supported this work through a DTA studentship to MA (EP/R51312X/1) and a capital investment grant to MK (EP/S017925/1). MFK thanks Swansea University for providing start-up funds. ",

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