Peroxymonosulfate Activation by Bi2WO6/BiOCl Heterojunction Nanocomposites under Visible Light for Bisphenol A Degradation

The combination of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and photocatalysis has proven to be effective for organic contaminants treatment. However, the construction of an efficient catalytic material is an important challenge. Herein, novel Bi2WO6/BiOCl heterojunction nanocomposites were successfully designed and fabricated using a facile and effective strategy for bisphenol A (BPA) photodegradation with PMS activation. The well-designed heterojunction with improvement of the contact area and interface microstructure was obtained through in situ growth of the Bi2WO6 on the surface of BiOCl. The Bi2WO6/BiOCl nanocomposites exhibit excellent catalytic performance in PMS activation for BPA degradation under visible light irradiation. A possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism was systematically revealed. The excellent catalytic performance is mainly attributed to the strong interaction between Bi2WO6 and BiOCl, resulting in an enhanced photoabsorption and a more efficient interfacial charge separation and transfer. This paper provides a novel strategy to design efficient catalytic materials for organic contaminants remediation with PMS activation.

Recent progress in Cr-based catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes by employing CO2 as a soft oxidant

CO2 can be used as a soft oxidant for oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes (CO2-ODH), which is beneficial to realize the reuse of CO2 and meet the demand for olefins. The core of this reaction is the catalyst. Cr-based catalysts have attracted much attention for their excellent catalytic performance in CO2-ODH reactions due to their various oxidation states and local electronic structures. In this paper, the synthesis and modification methods of Cr-based catalysts for CO2-ODH are reviewed. The structure–activity relationship and reaction mechanism are also summarized. Moreover, the reasons for the deactivation of Cr-based catalysts are analysed and the main challenges faced by Cr-based catalysts in the CO2-ODH process, as well as the future development trend and prospect, are discussed.

Mesoporous Zn/MgO Hexagonal Nano-Plates as a Catalyst for Camelina Oil Biodiesel Synthesis

A novel mesoporous Zn/MgO hexagonal-nano-plate catalyst was synthesized by a simple template-free hydrothermal method and applied in the base-catalyzed transesterification of Camelina oil for biodiesel synthesis. The Zn/MgO catalyst calcinated at 873 K exhibited the highest catalytic activity with a yield of 88.7%. This catalytic reaction was performed using 3% w/w of the catalyst with a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 24:1 at 393 K in 8 h. The excellent catalytic performance is possibly attributed to its favorable textural features with relatively high surface area (69.1 m2 g−1) and appropriate size of the mesopores (10.4 nm). In addition, the as-synthesized catalyst demonstrated a greater basic sites density than single mesoporous MgO, which might have been promoted by the addition of Zn, leading to a synergetic interaction that enhanced its catalytic activity. This catalytic system demonstrated high stability for five catalytic runs and catalytic activity with over 84% yield.

Nanoscale Cerium Oxide: Synthesis, Biocatalytic Mechanism, and Applications

Nanoscale cerium oxide has excellent catalytic performance due to its unique surface properties and has very important applications in various fields. In this paper, the synthesis methods, catalytic mechanism and activity regulation of nanoscale cerium oxide in recent years are reviewed. Secondly, the application of cerium oxide in the detection of organic and inorganic molecules is summarized, and its latest progress and applications in antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer are discussed. Finally, the future development prospect of nanoscale cerium oxide is summarized and prospected.