Pub Date : 2025-04-18DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101134
Gabriel E De-la-Torre , Carolin Bapp , Ana D Forero-López , Sina Dobaradaran
Nanoplastics (NPs), plastic particles smaller than 1 µm, have gained particular interest due to their ability to translocate across biological barriers. However, their quantification and identification across environmental matrices have proven to be a complex and significant challenge. As the literature on NPs continues to grow, we believe that it is imperative to provide a timely analysis and discussion of the latest advances. In this contribution, we will discuss the analytical techniques employed in the most recent studies on the quantification of NPs and provide analytical recommendations based on the latest developments in this line of research.
{"title":"Analytical techniques for quantifying and identifying nanoplastics: recent advances","authors":"Gabriel E De-la-Torre , Carolin Bapp , Ana D Forero-López , Sina Dobaradaran","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanoplastics (NPs), plastic particles smaller than 1 µm, have gained particular interest due to their ability to translocate across biological barriers. However, their quantification and identification across environmental matrices have proven to be a complex and significant challenge. As the literature on NPs continues to grow, we believe that it is imperative to provide a timely analysis and discussion of the latest advances. In this contribution, we will discuss the analytical techniques employed in the most recent studies on the quantification of NPs and provide analytical recommendations based on the latest developments in this line of research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101134"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-18DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101135
Nisha T Padmanabhan , Laura Clarizia , Priyanka Ganguly
Research in green hydrogen production is advancing through photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, but storage remains a challenge. Promising hydrogen carriers, such as methanol, ammonia, formic acid, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, and metal hydrides, face issues like low hydrogen content and high energy demands. This review highlights innovations in hydrogen storage, focusing on carrier synthesis and photocatalytic hydrogen release for sustainable, energy-efficient solutions. Advancing catalysts, reactors, lifecycle assessments, and economic feasibility is crucial. Hybrid approaches and augmented intelligence are essential for developing cost-effective, high-efficiency storage systems, driving progress toward a sustainable hydrogen economy.
{"title":"Advancing hydrogen storage: critical insights to potentials, challenges, and pathways to sustainability","authors":"Nisha T Padmanabhan , Laura Clarizia , Priyanka Ganguly","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research in green hydrogen production is advancing through photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, but storage remains a challenge. Promising hydrogen carriers, such as methanol, ammonia, formic acid, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, and metal hydrides, face issues like low hydrogen content and high energy demands. This review highlights innovations in hydrogen storage, focusing on carrier synthesis and photocatalytic hydrogen release for sustainable, energy-efficient solutions. Advancing catalysts, reactors, lifecycle assessments, and economic feasibility is crucial. Hybrid approaches and augmented intelligence are essential for developing cost-effective, high-efficiency storage systems, driving progress toward a sustainable hydrogen economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101135"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-16DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101131
Jin-Jin Li , Qi Luo , Yi-Xiang Lin , Zhenhao Xi , Ling Zhao
Radical ring-opening polymerization (rROP) has gained widespread attention due to the facile incorporation of cleavable groups (e.g. ester, thioesters) into all-carbon backbone vinyl polymers. The inclusion of a cleavable comonomer makes the vinyl copolymers biodegradable. However, competition between the ring-opening of cyclic monomer and vinyl addition without ring-opening, as well as efficient insertion of cleavable comonomer into the backbone, are challenging for rROP. This minireview discusses the latest developments in theoretical and numerical simulations of rROP, offering deep insights into both polymerization and degradation processes, including mechanistic identification, kinetic features, and chain microstructure tuning. Besides, challenges and future directions are included to attract more efforts to better perform rROP and deconstruction process.
{"title":"Understanding synthesis and degradation of backbone deconstructable (co)polymers by radical ring-opening polymerization through theoretical calculation and numerical simulation","authors":"Jin-Jin Li , Qi Luo , Yi-Xiang Lin , Zhenhao Xi , Ling Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Radical ring-opening polymerization (<em>r</em>ROP) has gained widespread attention due to the facile incorporation of cleavable groups (e.g. ester, thioesters) into all-carbon backbone vinyl polymers. The inclusion of a cleavable comonomer makes the vinyl copolymers biodegradable. However, competition between the ring-opening of cyclic monomer and vinyl addition without ring-opening, as well as efficient insertion of cleavable comonomer into the backbone, are challenging for <em>r</em>ROP. This minireview discusses the latest developments in theoretical and numerical simulations of <em>r</em>ROP, offering deep insights into both polymerization and degradation processes, including mechanistic identification, kinetic features, and chain microstructure tuning. Besides, challenges and future directions are included to attract more efforts to better perform <em>r</em>ROP and deconstruction process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101131"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-14DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101130
Jason Stallings Jr, Endras Fadhilah, Malgorzata Chwatko
Thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique is often employed in membrane manufacturing to create highly porous relatively homogenous membranes. The technique generates porous materials due to a phase separation driven by crystallization or thermodynamic immiscibility. To maintain the use of the technique in the future, the solution chemistry needs to be re-examined to meet the sustainability metrics required for the next generation of membrane design and manufacturing. In this work, we examine TIPS process sustainability and metrics that could be used in future works on the topic.
{"title":"Membrane synthesis via thermally induced phase separation: quantifying the shift to a more sustainable design","authors":"Jason Stallings Jr, Endras Fadhilah, Malgorzata Chwatko","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique is often employed in membrane manufacturing to create highly porous relatively homogenous membranes. The technique generates porous materials due to a phase separation driven by crystallization or thermodynamic immiscibility. To maintain the use of the technique in the future, the solution chemistry needs to be re-examined to meet the sustainability metrics required for the next generation of membrane design and manufacturing. In this work, we examine TIPS process sustainability and metrics that could be used in future works on the topic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101130"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-10DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101128
Davide Bernardo Preso , Ivan Smirnov , Mohamad Salimi , James Kwan
This article provides an overview of the current challenges associated with cavitation, highlighting the technological and experimental limitations in elucidating complex bubble dynamics. It also examines how the limited availability of experimental data constrains the development of numerical models. Additionally, the paper reviews recent advances in cavitation and their influence on the development of physical and chemical technologies, with a particular focus on sonochemical applications.
{"title":"Broadening the sonochemistry horizon: hurdles and challenges to address in cavitation","authors":"Davide Bernardo Preso , Ivan Smirnov , Mohamad Salimi , James Kwan","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article provides an overview of the current challenges associated with cavitation, highlighting the technological and experimental limitations in elucidating complex bubble dynamics. It also examines how the limited availability of experimental data constrains the development of numerical models. Additionally, the paper reviews recent advances in cavitation and their influence on the development of physical and chemical technologies, with a particular focus on sonochemical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101128"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-09DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101127
Mathieu Grandcolas , Annett Thøgersen , Ingeborg-Helene Svenum , Kevin Both , Athanasios Chatzitakis
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising method for sustainable hydrogen production. Among potential materials, tantalum nitride (Ta3N5) has emerged as a leading candidate due to its favorable band gap and high theoretical efficiency. This review highlights recent advancements in the synthesis, doping, and surface modification of Ta3N5 photoanodes, which have enabled photocurrent densities approaching the material’s theoretical limit of 12.9 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. RHE. Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain, particularly in achieving long-term stability. We critically evaluate the feasibility of meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s targets and provide insights into more achievable and realistic goals for PEC systems based on Ta3N5, focusing on efficiency, lifetime, and cost competitiveness.
{"title":"Tantalum nitride photoanodes: a promising future for photoelectrochemical water splitting?","authors":"Mathieu Grandcolas , Annett Thøgersen , Ingeborg-Helene Svenum , Kevin Both , Athanasios Chatzitakis","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising method for sustainable hydrogen production. Among potential materials, tantalum nitride (Ta<sub>3</sub>N<sub>5</sub>) has emerged as a leading candidate due to its favorable band gap and high theoretical efficiency. This review highlights recent advancements in the synthesis, doping, and surface modification of Ta<sub>3</sub>N<sub>5</sub> photoanodes, which have enabled photocurrent densities approaching the material’s theoretical limit of 12.9 mA/cm² at 1.23 V vs. RHE. Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain, particularly in achieving long-term stability. We critically evaluate the feasibility of meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s targets and provide insights into more achievable and realistic goals for PEC systems based on Ta<sub>3</sub>N<sub>5</sub>, focusing on efficiency, lifetime, and cost competitiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101127"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-09DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101129
Melissa G Galloni , Vincenzo Fabbrizio , Roberto Giannantonio , Ermelinda Falletta , Claudia L Bianchi
Cavitation technology, encompassing acoustic and hydrodynamic methods, represents a transformative approach to process intensification, enabling high-efficiency energy and mass transfer across diverse industrial applications. Acoustic cavitation exploits high-frequency ultrasonic waves to generate transient and stable bubbles, leading to localized high temperatures, pressures, and reactive species formation. Hydrodynamic cavitation, achieved through fluidic devices, such as Venturi tubes and vortex diodes, generates cavities under controlled low-pressure zones, providing scalable solutions for large-scale operations. This study critically examines the industrial viability of cavitation technologies, emphasizing their unique ability to combine mechanical, thermal, and chemical energy release. A detailed comparative analysis reveals the limitations of acoustic cavitation, including energy attenuation and equipment wear, against the superior scalability of hydrodynamic systems. Key challenges, such as enhancing hydroxyl radical yield, reducing operational costs, and improving system robustness, are explored alongside potential synergies with complementary technologies, like advanced oxidation processes and photocatalysis. Emerging industrial implementations, including biogas enhancement and chemical processing, underscore the evolving landscape of cavitation-based innovations. This work highlights the necessity for multidisciplinary strategies, integrating experimental, computational, and engineering perspectives to advance cavitation technology. By addressing scalability and cost-effectiveness, cavitation systems can unlock transformative opportunities for sustainable industrial applications, aligning with global environmental and economic imperatives.
{"title":"Applications and applicability of the cavitation technology","authors":"Melissa G Galloni , Vincenzo Fabbrizio , Roberto Giannantonio , Ermelinda Falletta , Claudia L Bianchi","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cavitation technology, encompassing acoustic and hydrodynamic methods, represents a transformative approach to process intensification, enabling high-efficiency energy and mass transfer across diverse industrial applications. Acoustic cavitation exploits high-frequency ultrasonic waves to generate transient and stable bubbles, leading to localized high temperatures, pressures, and reactive species formation. Hydrodynamic cavitation, achieved through fluidic devices, such as Venturi tubes and vortex diodes, generates cavities under controlled low-pressure zones, providing scalable solutions for large-scale operations. This study critically examines the industrial viability of cavitation technologies, emphasizing their unique ability to combine mechanical, thermal, and chemical energy release. A detailed comparative analysis reveals the limitations of acoustic cavitation, including energy attenuation and equipment wear, against the superior scalability of hydrodynamic systems. Key challenges, such as enhancing hydroxyl radical yield, reducing operational costs, and improving system robustness, are explored alongside potential synergies with complementary technologies, like advanced oxidation processes and photocatalysis. Emerging industrial implementations, including biogas enhancement and chemical processing, underscore the evolving landscape of cavitation-based innovations. This work highlights the necessity for multidisciplinary strategies, integrating experimental, computational, and engineering perspectives to advance cavitation technology. By addressing scalability and cost-effectiveness, cavitation systems can unlock transformative opportunities for sustainable industrial applications, aligning with global environmental and economic imperatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101129"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Microplastics (MPs) present a direct threat to aquatic organisms while functioning as vectors for the mobilization of organic contaminants within aquatic environments. Furthermore, due to their extensive usage, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have emerged as significant global concerns due to their pervasive presence and substantial accumulation in aquatic ecosystems. Research to date has primarily focused on these contaminants in isolation, leaving the interactions and cumulative effects among MPs, PFAS, and EDCs (trifecta) relatively unexamined. We elucidate the probable interaction mechanisms among these three categories of contaminants and to analyze their combined toxicity, as well as the existing regulatory frameworks and policies applicable to them. Our findings indicate that the sorption of EDCs and PFAS onto MPs is predominantly governed by hydrophobic and electrostatic forces and is sensitive to various environmental parameters, including pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved organic matter. The interactions among these contaminants are intricate, encompassing mechanisms such as cation-π bonding and biofilm formation, all of which influence the dynamics of sorption. The synergistic effects of MPs in conjunction with co-contaminants, such as PFAS and EDCs, exacerbate toxicity, promote bioaccumulation, and elevate health risks for both aquatic organisms and mammals, typically contingent upon factors such as exposure duration, dosage, and environmental conditions. In conclusion, we underscore that while significant advancements have been achieved, considerable efforts are still required to address regulatory deficiencies and to advance legislation aimed at mitigating the impact of persistent pollutants.
{"title":"Decoding the interactions between microplastics, polyfluoroalkyl substances, and endocrine disruptors: sorption kinetics and toxicity","authors":"Kanika Dogra , Manish Kumar , Sanyogita Singh , Kanchan Deoli Bahukhandi","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics (MPs) present a direct threat to aquatic organisms while functioning as vectors for the mobilization of organic contaminants within aquatic environments. Furthermore, due to their extensive usage, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have emerged as significant global concerns due to their pervasive presence and substantial accumulation in aquatic ecosystems. Research to date has primarily focused on these contaminants in isolation, leaving the interactions and cumulative effects among MPs, PFAS, and EDCs (trifecta) relatively unexamined. We elucidate the probable interaction mechanisms among these three categories of contaminants and to analyze their combined toxicity, as well as the existing regulatory frameworks and policies applicable to them. Our findings indicate that the sorption of EDCs and PFAS onto MPs is predominantly governed by hydrophobic and electrostatic forces and is sensitive to various environmental parameters, including pH, salinity, temperature, and dissolved organic matter. The interactions among these contaminants are intricate, encompassing mechanisms such as cation-π bonding and biofilm formation, all of which influence the dynamics of sorption. The synergistic effects of MPs in conjunction with co-contaminants, such as PFAS and EDCs, exacerbate toxicity, promote bioaccumulation, and elevate health risks for both aquatic organisms and mammals, typically contingent upon factors such as exposure duration, dosage, and environmental conditions. In conclusion, we underscore that while significant advancements have been achieved, considerable efforts are still required to address regulatory deficiencies and to advance legislation aimed at mitigating the impact of persistent pollutants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101126"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Global warming and rising pollution levels require a paradigm shift from fossil fuels to renewable feedstock. The valorization of lignocellulose, a virtually endless resource, implies the selective extraction of the three main components, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, to then treat them separately. Among the methods of pretreatment/preferential dissolution of biomass, low-frequency ultrasound (US) has shown to be a promising disruptive technology. Eager to be combined with physical technologies, chemical agents or enzymes, many examples under low-frequency US exist at the lab scale. However, examples of scaling-up of US-processing of biomass remain yet scarce. It appears quite challenging to design ultrasonic equipment that allows sufficient and homogeneous energy powers in large volumes, although recent pioneering work shows considerable progress. This review aims at highlighting the latest works on biomass pretreatment under chemically or enzymatically assisted ultrasonic irradiation on both lab and pilot/semi-industrial scales together with future directions to enable scale-up of ultrasonic processes for biomass valorization.
{"title":"Current status of chemical- or enzyme-assisted ultrasonic pre-treatment processes for lignocellulosic biomass to assess industrialization progress: A review","authors":"Salla Kälkäjä , Katja Lappalainen , François Delattre , Jean-Marc Lévêque","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming and rising pollution levels require a paradigm shift from fossil fuels to renewable feedstock. The valorization of lignocellulose, a virtually endless resource, implies the selective extraction of the three main components, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, to then treat them separately. Among the methods of pretreatment/preferential dissolution of biomass, low-frequency ultrasound (US) has shown to be a promising disruptive technology. Eager to be combined with physical technologies, chemical agents or enzymes, many examples under low-frequency US exist at the lab scale. However, examples of scaling-up of US-processing of biomass remain yet scarce. It appears quite challenging to design ultrasonic equipment that allows sufficient and homogeneous energy powers in large volumes, although recent pioneering work shows considerable progress. This review aims at highlighting the latest works on biomass pretreatment under chemically or enzymatically assisted ultrasonic irradiation on both lab and pilot/semi-industrial scales together with future directions to enable scale-up of ultrasonic processes for biomass valorization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101124"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101123
Samutr Assavachin , Montree Sawangphruk , Frank E Osterloh
Photocatalytic water splitting offers a sustainable route for hydrogen production but is often hindered by rapid charge carrier recombination and slow kinetics. Traditional strategies to enhance charge separation include solid–solid junctions, facet engineering, and cocatalyst addition. This review explores an alternative approach using ferroelectric materials to improve photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting efficiency. Ferroelectric materials exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, generating internal electric fields that modulate band bending at the solid–liquid interface. This intrinsic property enhances charge carrier separation and directs photogenerated electrons and holes toward specific redox sites or cocatalysts. We highlight key studies demonstrating the effectiveness of ferroelectric materials in PEC applications. Electric polarization of BiFeO3 thin films resulted in controlled enhancement of water oxidation by directly influencing band bending and charge transfer processes. Similarly, BaTiO3–TiO2 core–shell structures with Ni(OH)₂ cocatalysts exhibited improved PEC activity through polarization-mediated charge separation. BaTiO3 particles also demonstrated enhanced PEC water oxidation and hydrogen evolution in both film and suspension systems due to ferroelectric effects. These findings underscore the potential of ferroelectric materials to optimize charge carrier dynamics in photocatalytic processes for better solar energy conversion.
{"title":"Ferroelectric BiFeO3 and BaTiO3 photocatalysts for photoelectrochemical water splitting","authors":"Samutr Assavachin , Montree Sawangphruk , Frank E Osterloh","doi":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.coche.2025.101123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photocatalytic water splitting offers a sustainable route for hydrogen production but is often hindered by rapid charge carrier recombination and slow kinetics. Traditional strategies to enhance charge separation include solid–solid junctions, facet engineering, and cocatalyst addition. This review explores an alternative approach using ferroelectric materials to improve photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting efficiency. Ferroelectric materials exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, generating internal electric fields that modulate band bending at the solid–liquid interface. This intrinsic property enhances charge carrier separation and directs photogenerated electrons and holes toward specific redox sites or cocatalysts. We highlight key studies demonstrating the effectiveness of ferroelectric materials in PEC applications. Electric polarization of BiFeO<sub>3</sub> thin films resulted in controlled enhancement of water oxidation by directly influencing band bending and charge transfer processes. Similarly, BaTiO<sub>3</sub>–TiO<sub>2</sub> core–shell structures with Ni(OH)₂ cocatalysts exhibited improved PEC activity through polarization-mediated charge separation. BaTiO<sub>3</sub> particles also demonstrated enhanced PEC water oxidation and hydrogen evolution in both film and suspension systems due to ferroelectric effects. These findings underscore the potential of ferroelectric materials to optimize charge carrier dynamics in photocatalytic processes for better solar energy conversion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":292,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering","volume":"48 ","pages":"Article 101123"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143759124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号