Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution coupled with dye hydrogenation reactions for sustainable wastewater treatment using transition-metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) nanoparticles with ZnO nanowire supports

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 496; p. 153751
• Main Authors: Feng, Anlin, Yang, Mingtao, Zhang, Zheng, Xia, Hongjin, Jin, Weihong, Shen, Boxiong, Hu, Yidong, Li, Qingyang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.09.2024
• Subjects: Dye hydrogenation reaction; Hydrogen evolution reaction; Transition-metal nanoparticle; Wastewater treatment; Zinc oxide nanowire; Zinc oxide nanowire; Hydrogen evolution reaction; Transition-metal nanoparticle; Dye hydrogenation reaction; Wastewater treatment
• ISSN: 1385-8947
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2024.153751

[Display omitted] •A novel and sustainable dye sewage treatment strategy is proposed.•This is hydrogen evolution coupled with dye hydrogenation reactions.•A series of matched bifunctional catalysts are thus developed.•Its cost and efficiency are superior to those of chemical reduction method.•This strategy exhibits high universality towards various dye sewages. A water electrolysis coupled with chemical reduction strategy is proposed to realize sustainable wastewater treatment. Correspondingly, a series of transition-metal (e.g., iron, cobalt, nickel and copper) nanoparticles anchored on zinc oxide nanowire array (ZnO NA) with bifunctional catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction together with dye hydrogenation reaction (HER/DHR) are developed, while their catalytic activity are comparatively investigated at the same time. This renewable strategy with environmental and economic benefits exhibits high-efficiency treatment capability towards various dye wastewaters. For example, a typical system based on nickel nanoparticles with ZnO NA supports, which exhibits higher catalytic activity towards the HER/DHR than those of other three counterparts under the same conditions, can transform waste 4-nitrophenol into valuable 4-aminophenol with an apparent rate constant of 36.95 × 10-3 min−1 and a conversion rate of 98.32 %, thereby achieving dye decolorization and resource regeneration simultaneously. Its efficiency is significantly superior to that of chemical method dependent on traditional reducing agents and commercial nickel materials, demonstrating its stronger competitiveness. It is mainly benefited from the interface synergistic effect of nickel nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanowires. This novel system is expected to replace conventional sewage remediation technologies for efficient, inexpensive, and eco-friendly dye degradation, and thus is very important for energy and environmental sustainability.