BOOSTING SEMICONDUCTORS: FOR PHOTOCATALYTIC WATER TREATMENT (BO-SE)

升压半导体：用于光催化水处理 (BO-SE)

• 批准号: EP/Y003063/1
• 负责人: Antonio Expósito
• 金额: $ 20.46万
• 依托单位: University of Bath
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY003063%2F1
• 关键词: BOOSTING; SEMICONDUCTORS; PHOTOCATALYTIC; WATER; TREATMENT

This project aims to develop a sustainable way of degrading persistent pollutants from wastewater. It will do so by bringing different expertise into the project to develop new catalysts. This new technology has the potential to remove toxic and dangerous pollutants to the environment in a green way by using sunlight.The use of pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides has brought immense benefits to society. However, those chemicals consist in complex organic molecules that are made to resist for long periods of time in the bodies or the environment to be efficient, but the persistence of such components supposes a risk to the environment. They accumulate in water and cannot be completely removed by traditional technology wastewater treatment plants. Thus, they reach rivers and lakes and negatively affect the biota.In order to remove those persistent pollutants, it is necessary to use alternative solutions with enough energy to break their stable chemical bonds and accelerate their degradation. One option is using the called Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). AOPs are based on generating radical molecules, such as hydroxyl or superoxide radicals. Radicals are very energetic and quickly react with any other molecule around them, including the molecules of persistent pollutants. During the reaction, the pollutant releases electrons to the radical. In this process, the different chemical bonds break and generate intermediate by-products until finally, only water and carbon dioxide remain as a product. The process of transforming the persistent organic pollutant into water and CO2 is called mineralisation.A sustainable method to generate radicals is using semiconductor materials. The semiconductors materials can be excited by sunlight to generate electron/hole pairs. Both can react with water and oxygen to produce radicals that can be used for the removal of persistent pollutants. The challenges with the current semiconductor materials are that they are not active with sunlight and that the pair and electrons recombine instead of being used in productive reactions.This project aims to investigate how to change the material structure of semiconductor materials. Dr Exposito is an expert in photocatalysis and by adding elements like phosphorous or oxygen to the structure, he will promote the generation of electron/hole pairs. Furthermore, to avoid recombination, we will combine the semiconductor materials with organic lipids. These organic lipids will contain iron that can react with hydrogen peroxide to produce extra hydroxyl radicals. In this way, some electrons generated in the semiconductor that would recombine will be used to generate radicals through the lipid membrane and avoid recombination. To understand how to attach the lipids and the behaviour, this project will promote collaboration with Dr Tse, a global leader in lipid membranes.The success of this project would contribute to directly to UN sustainable goals 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, and 14, Life Below Water, and indirectly to others like Sustainable Cities and Communities (11) or Responsible Consumption and Production (12).By proposing new, green ways of removing persistent pollutants from water, this proposal will contribute to a more sustainable UK's economy and society. The success of this research would bring new perspectives to the wastewater treatment sector, with societal and environmental impacts.

该项目旨在开发一种可持续的方式，从废水中降低持久污染物。它将通过将不同的专业知识带入开发新催化剂的项目中来做到这一点。这项新技术有可能通过使用阳光以绿色方式去除环境的有毒和危险的污染物。药物化合物和农药的使用为社会带来了巨大的好处。但是，这些化学物质由复杂的有机分子组成，这些分子在体内或环境中长时间抗性，以效率有效，但是这种成分的持久性假设对环境有风险。它们积聚在水中，无法通过传统技术废水处理厂完全去除。因此，它们到达河流和湖泊，并对生物群体产生负面影响。为了去除那些持续的污染物，有必要使用足够能量的替代溶液破坏其稳定的化学键并加速其降解。一种选择是使用所谓的高级氧化过程（AOPS）。 AOP基于产生自由基分子，例如羟基或超氧化物自由基。自由基非常有能量，并迅速与周围的任何其他分子反应，包括持续污染物的分子。在反应过程中，污染物将电子释放到自由基。在此过程中，不同的化学键断裂并产生中级副产品，直到最后，只有水和二氧化碳作为产物。将持续的有机污染物转化为水和二氧化碳的过程称为矿化。一种可持续的自由基方法是使用半导体材料。半导体材料可以通过阳光来激发以产生电子/孔对。两者都可以与水和氧气反应，以产生可用于去除持续污染物的自由基。当前半导体材料的挑战是它们在阳光下并不活跃，并且这对夫妇和电子重组而不是在生产反应中使用。该项目旨在调查如何改变半导体材料的材料结构。 Exposito博士是光催化专家，通过在结构中添加磷或氧气等元素，他将促进电子/孔对的产生。此外，为避免重组，我们将将半导体材料与有机脂质结合在一起。这些有机脂质将含有可以与过氧化氢反应以产生额外的羟基自由基的铁。这样，将在半导体中产生的一些电子将被重新组合来通过脂质膜产生自由基并避免重组。要了解如何附着脂质和行为，该项目将促进与脂质膜的全球领导者TSE博士的合作。该项目的成功将直接促进非可持续目标6，清洁水和卫生，水下14岁，水下的生活，以及在水下，与其他人（如可持续的城市和社区）（11）或负责人（11）或负责人（绿色）（12）的绿色（绿色），绿色（绿色），绿色（12）。将有助于更可持续的英国经济和社会。这项研究的成功将为废水处理部门带来新的观点，并产生社会和环境影响。