Nanostructured materials for photocatalytic wastewater remediation

Principal investigators: Antonio Miotello, Michele Orlandi

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are innovative water treatment technologies, based on the in-situ generation of highly reactive transitory species (i.e. H2O2, OH-, O2-, O3). Among the AOPs, heterogeneous photocatalysis employing semiconductor catalysts has demonstrated its efficiency in degrading a wide number of ambiguous refractory organics into readily biodegradable compounds. At the IdEA lab we focus on materials based on cheap and scalable elements (Fe, Ti, Co) and capable of sunlight absorption, maximizing their performance by 3D hierarchical micro/nanostructuring. The use of visible-light driven photocatalysis provides a sustainable and cost-effective route to wastewater remediation by exploiting sunlight, a clean and renewable resource.

Publications

Yadav, M., Yadav, A., Fernandes, R., Popat, Y., Orlandi, M., Dashora, A., Kothari, D.C., Miotello, A., Ahuja, B.L. & Patel, N. 2017, "Tungsten-doped TiO2/reduced Graphene Oxide nano-composite photocatalyst for degradation of phenol: A system to reduce surface and bulk electron-hole recombination", Journal of environmental management, vol. 203, pp. 364-374.

Edla, R., Tonezzer, A., Orlandi, M., Patel, N., Fernandes, R., Bazzanella, N., Date, K., Kothari, D.C. & Miotello, A. 2017, "3D hierarchical nanostructures of iron oxides coatings prepared by pulsed laser deposition for photocatalytic water purification", Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, vol. 219, pp. 401-411.

Edla, R., Patel, N., Orlandi, M., Bazzanella, N., Bello, V., Maurizio, C., Mattei, G., Mazzoldi, P. & Miotello, A. 2015, "Highly photo-catalytically active hierarchical 3D porous/urchin nanostructured Co3O4coating synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition", Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, vol. 166-167, pp. 475-484.

Link 

Laboratorio IdEA @UNITN: Idrogeno Energia e Ambiente – Gestione Risorse e Apparati di Laboratorio