Environmental Functional Materials最新文献

Finding an efficient water harvesting technique is currently highly sought-after due to the rise of water demand. Solar vapor generators (SVGs) have recently shown promising results to be used as a cleaner alternative water harvesting system for desalination application. However, recent SVGs using semiconductor as photo-thermal materials (PTMs) still suffer from a low average water evaporation performance. This study aims to develop a novel high-water generating hydrogel-based SVG consisting of cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix and designed MnO₂ nanorods as solar-to-heat converter. Results indicated that the resultant hydrogel material exhibited a maximum water evaporation rate of 2.8 ​kg/(m²·h) under 1 sun. Furthermore, the PVA/MnO₂ hydrogel demonstrated salt resistant and filtration capability for desalination application with a consistent evaporation rate of 2.8 ​kg/(m²·h) and >99.8% reduction of sodium ion concentration. In short, this study opens up a new pathway for the development of high performance SVG system for desalination applications.

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (persulfate-AOPs) offer great promise for environmental remediation, with heterogeneous catalysts providing the backbone of many wastewater purification technologies. Unlike conventional nanocatalyst heterogeneous systems, the immobilized-catalyst system can bypass the separation problem to reduce scour and prevent aggregation by anchoring nanoparticles onto porous or large-particle carriers. This review presents the state-of-the-art of knowledge concerning immobilization methodologies and reactors, reaction mechanisms, and activation performance. Immobilization techniques onto supports are summarized and discussed, including membrane-based reaction systems (immersion mode, and filtration mode), electrocatalytic auxiliary systems, and alternative supports (metallic glasses, aerogels, hydrogels, and specific materials). Key scientific problems and important prospects for the further development of immobilized catalysts are outlined.

Plastic waste has become a serious environmental issue and has attracted increasing attention. Various treatment technologies have been developed for the remediation of this waste, including degradation, recycling and upcycling, and transformation to value-added products has been extensively studied. Transitioning plastic waste into carbon-based functional materials is especially attractive because of the practical applications of plastic wastes derived carbon materials (PWCMs) in the field of green energy and in sustainable environmental practices. Herein, recent advances in the preparation and applications of PWCMs are systematically reviewed. Thermal treatment methods for synthesizing carbon-based materials from plastic waste are summarized, including anoxic pyrolysis, catalytic and pressure carbonization techniques, flash Joule heating and microwave conversion. The applications of PWCMs and PWCMs-based composites to green energy storage and production (such as in batteries, supercapacitors and water-splitting systems) and sustainable environmental concepts (pollutant adsorption/degradation, solar evaporation and CO₂ capture) are detailed, with an emphasis on the property-performance correlation. The potential for future development of PWCMs is also examined. This review is meant to provide insights into the advanced applications of PWCMs and to stimulate the future upcycling of plastic waste.