Speaker:
Ali Sadaqat
Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Technology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
Abstract:
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in which photocatalysis for wastewater treatment is a major subject. AOPs, including photocatalysis, are vital for environmental remediation, leveraging reactive oxygen species (ROS) to degrade pollutants. This seminar focuses on TiO2 and g-C3N4 catalysts for wastewater treatment. TiO2, a widely used photocatalyst, offers high stability and low cost but suffers from a wide bandgap and rapid electron-hole recombination. In contrast, g-C3N4, a metal-free semiconductor, exhibits visible-light activity and tunable properties but face challenges like small surface area and charge recombination. The state-of-the-art integration of TiO2 and g-C3N4 into type-II heterojunctions enhances charge separation and light absorption, significantly improving photocatalytic efficiency. Plasmonic metals (e.g., Au, Ag) further boost performance via surface plasmon resonance (SPR), enhancing visible-light absorption and electron-hole separation. Immobilized catalysts coating can effectively improve the system efficiencies. Coating techniques include dip coating, drop casting, spin coating, spray deposition, electrophoretic deposition techniques.
Coating binders improve adhesion, increase mechanical stability and economically better. Despite progress, challenges remain, such as optimizing bandgap engineering, increasing surface area and scaling synthesis for industrial use. Future research aims to refine doping strategies, heterojunction designs and coating techniques to enhance robustness and scalability.
During the seminar, the potential of composite photocatalysts for sustainable wastewater treatment will be emphasized and further innovations will be called for to overcome the obstacles to practical implementation and ultimately achieve industrial wastewater systems.
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