Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol over MWCNTs-TiO2 Composite Catalysts with Different Diameters

Titania-based composite catalysts were prepared through a sol-gel route employing multi-walled carbon nanotubes with different diameters. The materials were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis absorption spectra. The application of the catalysts to photocatalytic degradation of phenol was tested under UV-Vis irradiation. A synergetic effect on phenol removal was observed in case of composite catalysts, which was evaluated in terms of apparent rate constant, total organic carbon removal and photonic efficiency.

Synergistic degradation of phenols by bimetallic CuO-Co_3O_4@γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst in H_2O_2/HCO_3^- system

The development of new catalytic techniques for wastewater treatment has long attracted much attention from industrial and academic communities.However,because of catalyst leaching during degradation,catalysts can be short lived,and therefore expensive,and unsuitable for use in wastewater treatment.In this work,we developed a bimetallic CuO-Co3O4@γ-Al2O3 catalyst for phenol degradation with bicarbonate-activated H2O2.The weakly basic environment provided by the bicarbonate buffer greatly suppresses leaching of active Cu and Co metal ions from the catalyst.X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed interactions between Cu and Co ions in the CuO-Co3O4@γ-Al2O3 catalyst,and these improve the catalytic activity in phenol degradation.Mechanistic studies using different radical scavengers showed that superoxide and hydroxyl radicals both played significant roles in phenol degradation,whereas singlet oxygen was less important.

Phenol degradation by anodic oxidation on boron-doped diamond electrode combining TiO_2 Photocatalysis

Boron-doped diamond （BDD） electrocatalysis is combined with photocatalysis using titanium dioxide （TiO2） as a catalyst to improve pollutant-oxidation efficiency. Phenol solution is chosen as model wastewater. Different methods involving BDD and/or TiO2 during the degradation processes are compared. Parameters such as the currency density and initial concentration are varied in order to determine their effects on the oxidation process. Moreover, the degradation kinetics of phenol is experimentally studied. The results reveal the superiority of series combination of BDD and TiO2, especially the treatment process of electrocatalysis and succedent photocatalysis, and the optimum working currency density for electrocatalysis is 25.48 mA/cm2. The removal rate decreases with the increase in the initial phenol concentration and the degradation reaction follows quasi-first-order kinetics equation.

Influence of lanthanum-doping on photocatalytic properties of BiFeO_3 for phenol degradation

A series of BiFeO3 and lanthanum‐doped BiFeO3 photocatalysts were synthesized by a facile sol‐gel method using citric acid as complexing agent, and used to remove phenol in industrial wastewater under simulated sunlight irradiation. The samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The introduction of La effectively suppressed the generation of an impurity phase. All the metals （La, Bi and Fe） are well distributed. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the La‐doped BiFeO3 photocatalysts exhibited superior photocatalytic activity to pure BiFeO3. The 15%La‐doped BiFeO3 photocatalyst exhibited the best activity, with a degradation rate of 96%and COD removal rate of 81.53%after irradiation for 180 min, and it showed good recycling stability. The enhanced photocatalytic ability of 15% La‐doped BiFeO3 was attributed to the in‐crease of adsorbed surface hydroxyl groups, enhancement of visible light absorption and reduction of electron‐hole recombination. We confirmed that the primary active species was -OH by adding different scavengers during the photodegradation of phenol and proposed a reaction mechanism based on these experiments.

Photocatalytic Activity of TiO_2 Coating on Natural Feather Zeolite in Degradation of Orthomonochlorphenol

Ti02 coatings on natural feather zeolite are respectively prepared by a collosol （Sol-gel） method and two powder coating methods with deionizod water or dehydrated ethanol as a dispersant. During degradation of orthomono- chlorphenol solutions by ultraviolet, the strong adsorption capability of the zeolite results in increased concentration of substrate on its surface. The Ti（h film coated on feather zeolite further enhances the photocatalytic activity. The TiO~ film on the zeolite prepared by the Sol-gel method is found more effective as a catalyst than that by two powder coating methods.

Iron-glutamate-silicotungstate ternary complex as highly active heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for 4-chlorophenol degradation

A novel iron-glutamate-silicotungstate ternary complex（FeШGluS iW） was synthesized from ferric chloride（FeI II）,glutamic acid（Glu）,and silicotungstic acid（SiW）,and used as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for 4-chlorophenol（4-CP） degradation at neutral pH value. The prepared FeШGluS iW was characterized using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy,thermogravimetry,Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that FeШGluS iW has the formula [Fe（C5H8NO4）（H2O）]2SiW 12O40？13H2O,with glutamate moiety and Keggin-structured SiW 12O404- heteropolyanion. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity in 4-CP degradation in the dark and under irradiation. Under the conditions of 4-CP 100 mg/L,FeШGluS iW 1.0 g/L,H2O2 20 mmol/L,and pH = 6.5,4-CP was completely decomposed in 40 min in the dark and in 15 min under irradiation. When the reaction time was prolonged to 2 h,the corresponding total organic carbon removals under dark and irradiated conditions were ca. 27% and 72%,respectively. The high catalytic activity of FeI IIGluS iW is resulted from hydrogen bonding of H2O2 on the FeI IIGluS iW surface. The enhanced degradation of 4-CP under irradiation arises from simultaneous oxidation of 4-CP through Fenton-like and photocatalytic processes respectively catalyzed by ferric iron and the SiW 12O404- hetropolyanion in FeШGluS iW.

Photochemically enhanced degradation of phenol using heterogeneous Fenton-type catalysts

The degradation of phenol was carried out using heterogeneous Fenton-type catalysts in the presence of H_2O_2 and UV. Catalysts were prepared by exchanging and immobilizing Fe 2+ in zeolite 13X, silica gel or Al_2O_3. The concentration of phenol solution was 100 mg/L. The amount of H_2O_2 added was the stoichiometric amount of H_2O_2 required for the total oxidation of phenol. Under the irradiation of medium pressure light (300 W) phenol was mineralized within 1 h in the presence of Fe 2+/zeolite 13X. The COD removal rate was enhanced in the presence of Fe 2+/zeolite 13X compared to that of Fe 2+/silica gel or Fe 2+/Al_2O_3. Analogous homogenous photo-Fenton reaction with equivalent Fe 2+ was also carried out to evaluate the catalysis efficiency of Fe 2+/zeolite 13X. Results showed that the COD removal rate was near to that of homogeneous Fenton, while heterogeneous Fe 2+/zeolite 13X catalyst could be recycled.

Feasibility and advantage of biofilm-electrode reactor for phenol degradation

The new biofilm-electrode method was used for the phenol degradation, because of its low current requirement. The biofilm-electrode reactor consisted of immobilized degrading bacteria on Ti electrode as cathode and Ti/PbO2 electrode as anode. With the biofilmelectrode reactor in a divided electrolytic cell, the phenol degradation rate could achieve 100% at 18 h which was higher than using traditional methods, such as biological or electrochemical methods. Chemical oxygen demand （COD） removal rate of the biofilmelectrode reactor was also greater than that using biological and electrochemical method, and could reach 80% at 16 h. The results suggested that the biofilm-electrode reactor system can be used to treat wastewater with phenol.

Size control synthesis of sulfur doped titanium dioxide (anatase) nanoparticles,its optical property and its photo catalytic reactivity for CO_2 + H_2O conversion and phenol degradation

Sulfur doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles （3 nm- 12 nm） were synthesized by the reaction of titanium tetrachloride, water and sulfuric acid with addition of 3 M NaOH at room temperature. The electro-optical and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized sulfur doped TiO2 nanoparticles were studied along with Degussa commercial TiO2 particles （24 nm）. The results show that band gap of TiO2 particles decreases from 3.31 to 3.25 eV and for that of commercial TiO2 to 3.2 eV when the particle sizes increased from 3 nm to 12 nm with increase in sulfur doping. The results of the photocatalytic activity under UV and sun radiation show maximum phenol conversion at the particle size of 4 nm at 4.80% S-doping. Similar results are obtained using UV energy for both phenol conversion and conversion of CO2＋H2O in which formation of methanol, ethanol and proponal is observed. Production of methanol is also achieved on samples with a particle size of 8 and 12 nm and sulfur doping of 4.80% and 5.26%. For TiO2 particle of 4 nm without S doping, the production of methanol, ethanol and proponal was lower as compared to the S-doped particles. This is attributed to the combined electronic effect and band gap change, S dopant, specific surface area and the light source used.

Parameters effect on heterogeneous photocatalysed degradation of phenolin aqueous dispersion of TiO_2

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol selected as model compound of organic pollutant had been investigated in aqueous titanium dioxide （TiO2） dispersion under UV irradiation. The effects of various parameters such as pH, catalyst concentration, phenol concentration, anions, metal ions, electron acceptors, and surfactants on the photocatalytic degradation of phenol were investigated. The degradation kinetics was determined by the change in phenol concentration employing UV-Vis spectrometry as a function of irradiation time. The degradation kinetics of phenol follows pseudo first-order kinetics. The results showed a significant dependence of the photocatalytic degradation of phenol on the functional parameters. The probable promising roles of the additives on the degradation process were discussed.

Degradation of Phenolic Compounds in Coal Gasification Wastewater by Biofilm Reactor with Isolated Klebsiella sp.

This study was conducted to evaluate the degradation of phenolic compounds by one strain isolated from coal gasification wastewater( CGW). 16S rRNA gene sequences homology and phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate is belonged to the genus Klebsiella sp. The effect of different phenolic compounds on the isolate was investigated by determining OD600and phenoloxidase activity,of which the results showed that the isolate can utilize phenol,4-methyl phenol,3,5-dimethyl phenol and resorcinol as carbon resources. The biofilm reactor( formed by the isolate) can resist the influent concentration of phenolic compounds as high as750 mg /L when fed with synthetic CGW and incubated at optimum conditions. The capacity of improving the biodegradability of CGW through degrading phenolic compounds was testified with fed the biofilm reactor with real CGW. Thus,it might be an effective strain for bioaugmentation of CGW treatment.

Study of 4-t-octylphenol degradation and microbial community in granular sludge

In this study, the authors have investigated the effects of various factors on both aerobic and anaerobic degradation of 4-t-octylphenol （4-t-OP） in granular sludge. In comparison, the aerobic degradation rate was much higher than that of anaerobic degradation. The optimal pH values for 4-t-OP degradation in granular sludge were 9 and 7 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. And the degradation rate decreased with an increase in the initial 4-t-OP concentration. Addition of yeast extract or homologous compounds such as phenol also enhanced the 4-t-OP degradation, especially under the aerobic condition. To investigate the bacterial community in this study, the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） method was applied, based on the primers, for the 16S rDNA V3 region of bacteria, γ-proteobacteria and bacillus were identified as the major species of sludge.

Degradation of phenol in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor at ambient temperature

A synthetic wastewater containing phenol as sole substrate was treated in a 2 8 L upflow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) reactor at ambient temperature. The operation conditions and phenol removal efficiency were discussed, microbial population in the UASB sludge was identified based on DNA cloning, and pathway of anaerobic phenol degradation was proposed. Phenol in wastewater was degraded in an UASB reactor at loading rate up to 18 gCOD/(L·d), with a 1:1 recycle ratio, at 26±1℃, pH 7 0—7 5. An UASB reactor was able to remove 99% of phenol up to 1226 mg/L in wastewater with 24 h of hydraulic retention time(HRT). For HRT below 24 h, phenol degradation efficiency decreased with HRT, from 95 4% at 16 h to 93 8% at 12 h. It further deteriorated to 88 5% when HRT reached 8 h. When the concentration of influent phenol of the reactor was 1260 mg/L(corresponding COD 3000 mg/L), with the HRT decreasing(from 40 h to 4 h, corresponding COD loading increasing), the biomass yields tended to increase from 0 265 to 3 08 g/(L·d). While at 12 h of HRT, the biomass yield was lower. When HRT was 12 h, the methane yield was 0 308 L/(gCOD removed), which was the highest. Throughout the study, phenol was the sole organic substrate. The effluent contained only residual phenol without any detectable intermediates, such as benzoate, 4 hydrobenzoate or volatile fatty acids(VFAs). Based on DNA cloning analysis, the sludge was composed of five groups of microorganisms. Desulfotomaculum and Clostridium were likely responsible for the conversion of phenol to benzoate, which was further degraded by Syntrophus to acetate and H 2/CO 2. Methanogens lastly converted acetate and H 2/CO 2 to methane. The role of epsilon Proteobacteria was, however, unsure.

Structural Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Synthesized Carbon Modified TiO2 for Phenol Degradation

To promote the photocatalytic performance TiO2 and enlarge its application in visible region, carbon doped TiO2 (C/TiO2) composites were synthesized by wet impregnation method using sucrose as a precursor and used for phenol photocatalytic reaction. The synthesized products were characterized by Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis) techniques. The results showed that the obtained TiO2 was anatase phase in the C/TiO2 products, and its crystallite size was 11.7 nm, respectively. Carbon amount and calcined temperature of C/TiO2 can promote phenol removal. In this experiment, 5% carbon and 500 ℃ are the best choice for photocatalyst preparation. Under the UV light irradiation, 5%C/TiO2 (500 ℃, 2 h) exhibited the efficiency of 70.0% for phenol degradation within 150 min whereas TiO2 (500 ℃, 2 h) had 53.0% in the same duration of time. Also 5%C/TiO2 (500 ℃, 2 h) has higher photocatalytic performance under sunlight than pure TiO2. A combination of factors that include the smallest crystalline size, higher anatase percent, less band gap energy value and more oxygen vacant resulted in higher photocatalytic activities of 5%C/TiO2 (500 ℃, 2 h).

Biodegradation of phenol by free and immobilized Acinetobacter sp.strain PD12

A new phenol-degrading bacterium with high biodegradation activity and high tolerance of phenol, strain PD 12, was isolated from the activated sludge of Tianjin Jizhuangzi Wastewater Treatment Facility in China. This strain was capable of removing 500 mg phenol/L in liquid minimal medium by 99.6% within 9 h and metabolizing phenol at concentrations up to 1100 mg/L. DNA sequencing and homologous analysis of 16S rRNA gene identified PD12 to be an Acinetobacter sp. Polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） was used as a gel matrix to immobilize Acinetobacter sp. strain PDI2 by repeated freezing and thawing. The factors affecting phenol degradation of immobilized cells were investigated, and the results showed that the immobilized cells could tolerate a high phenol level and protected the bacteria against changes in temperature and pH. Storage stability and reusability tests revealed that the phenol degradation functions of immobilized cells were stable after reuse for 50 times or storing at 4℃ for 50 d. These results indicate that immobilized Acinetobacter sp. strain PD 12 possesses a good application potential in the treatment of phenol-containing wastewater.

Controllable Synthesis of Titania Nanocrystals with Different Morphologies and Application to the Degradation of Phenol

Titania nanocrystals with different morphologies were prepared using the hydrothermal method via controlling the pH values of solution, the ratio of reactants, temperature, and time of the hydrothermal reaction. The experimental results showed that uniform rod-like titania particles with an average aspect ratio of 6：1 could be obtained under the conditions of pH=11, n（TBOT）：n（TEA）=1：2, hydrothermal treatment at 150 °C for 24 h. When pH〈10, spherical titania nanocrystals could be obtained; with increasing the pH value, the diameter became smaller. Finally, the smallest size of the particles could reach 7 nm. Nanocrystals with uniformly well-dispersed and perfect crystallographic form were obtained via the above method. Phenol was used as the degradation model for testing the photocatalytical activity of the titania nanocrystals with different morphologies.

Biodegradation of phenol and m-cresol by mutated Candida tropicalis

The phenol and m-cresol biodegradations were studied using the mutant strain CTM 2 obtained by the He-Ne laser irradiation on wild-type Candida tropicalis. The results showed that C. tropicalis exhibited the increased capacity of phenolic compounds degradation after laser irradiation. It could degrade 2600 mg/L phenol and 300 mg/L m-cresol by 5% inoculum concentration, respectively. In the dual-substrate biodegradation system, 0-500 mg/L phenol could accelerate m-cresol biodegradation, and 300 mg/L m-cresol could be completely utilized within 46 hr at the presence of 350 mg/L phenol. Besides, the maximum biodegradation of m-cresol could reach 350 mg/L with 80 mg/L phenol within 61 hr. Obviously, phenol, as a growth substrate, could promote CTM 2 to degrade m-cresol, and was always preferentially utilized as carbon source. Comparatively, low-concentration m-cresol could result in a great inhibition on phenol degradation. In addition, the kinetic behaviors of cell growth and substrate biodegradation were described by kinetic model proposed in our laboratory.

Phenol Wastewater Degradation by Electrocatalytic Oxidation with RuO_2-IrO_2-SnO_2/Ti Anodes in the High Gravity Field

A novel high gravity multi-concentric cylinder electrodes-rotating bed(MCCE-RB) was developed for the electrocatalytic degradation of phenol wastewater in order to enhance the mass transfer with the self-made RuO_2-IrO_2-SnO_2/Ti anodes. The influences of electric current density, inlet liquid circulation flowrate, high gravity factor, sodium chloride concentration,and initial pH value on phenol degradation efficiency were investigated, with the optimal operating conditions determined. The results showed that under the optimal operating conditions covering a current density of 35 mA/cm^2, an inlet liquid circulation flowrate of 48 L/h, a high gravity factor of 20, a sodium chloride concentration of 8.5 g/L, an initial pH value of 6.5, a reaction time of 100 min, and an initial phenol concentration of 500 mg/L, the efficiency for removal of phenol reached 99.7%, which was improved by 10.4% as compared to that achieved in the normal gravity field. The tendency regarding the change in efficiency for removal of phenol, total organic carbon(TOC), and chemical oxygen demand(COD)over time was studied. The intermediates and degradation pathway of phenol were deduced by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).

Characterization of Phenol Biodegradation by Comamonas testosteroni ZD4-1 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ZD4-3

To investigate the characteristic and biochemical mechanism about the phenol biodegradation by bacterial strains ZD 4-1 and ZD 4-3. Methods Bacterial strains ZD 4-1 and ZD 4-3 were isolated by using phenol as the sole source of carbon and energy, and identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The concentrations of phenol and total organic carbon (TOC) were monitored to explore the degradation mechanism. The biodegradation intermediates were scanned at 375 nm by using a uv-vis spectrophotometer. The enzyme assays were performed to detect the activities of dioxygenases. Results Bacterial strains ZD 4-1 and ZD 4-3 were identified as Comamonas testosteroni and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by 16S rDNA sequence analysis, respectively. The growth of the two strains was observed on a variety of aromatic hydrocarbons. The strains ZD 4-1 and ZD 4-3 metabolized phenol via ortho-pathways and meta-pathways, respectively. In addition, the results of enzyme assays showed that the biodegradation efficiency of phenol by meta-pathways was higher than that by ortho-pathways. Finally, the results of induction experiment indicated that the catechol dioxygenases, both catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12O) and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O), were all inducible. Conclusion The strains ZD 4-1 and ZD 4-3 metabolize phenol through ortho-pathways and meta-pathway, respectively. Furthermore, the biodegradation efficiency of phenol by meta-pathways is higher than that by ortho-pathways.

Kinetics of phenol and m-cresol biodegradation by an indigenous mixed microbial culture isolated from a sewage treatment plant

An acclimatized mixed microbial culture,predominantly Pseudomonas sp.,was enriched from a sewage treatment plant,and its potential to simultaneously degrade mixtures of phenol and m-cresol was investigated during its growth in batch shake flasks.A 22 full factorial design with the two substrates at two different levels and different initial concentration ranges(low and high),was employed to carry out the biodegradation experiments.The substrates phenol and m-cresol were completely utilized within 21 h when ...