Abstract
Wastewater treatment challenges by conventional methods have necessitated the need for alternative/complementary methods that are environmentally safe and efficient especially towards recalcitrant organic pollutants. In this regard, a novel highly active visible-light responsive photoanode with the ternary hybrid CuO/Cu2O/TiO2 nanorods array film is proposed to enhance electron transfer in the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes) by combining with MWCNT/GO/GF cathode. Structural, morphological, optical, electrochemical, and elemental analysis of proposed electrodes is investigated in detail. Response surface methodology (RSM) comprising of full-factorial central composite design (CCD) with five factors and five levels has been used to examine the effects of different operating parameters such as electrode distance, current density, treatment time (t), solution pH, and conductivity in a PEC batch reactor. BTEX mineralization in aqueous solution was examined with multiple responses such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and specific energy consumption. During multiple response optimization, the desirability function approach was employed to concurrently maximize COD removal and minimize energy consumption. At the optimum condition, 81.3% COD removal and 9.5 kWh/kg of COD removed were observed. The photoelectrocatalytic oxidization mechanism of BTEX with proposed anode and cathode was discussed, then the possible degradation pathway of BTEX identified using GC–MS.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E.T. Igunnu, G.Z. Chen, Int. J. Low-Carb. Technol. 9, 157 (2012)
J.M. Dickhout, J. Moreno, P.M. Biesheuvel, L. Boels, R.G.H. Lammertink, W.M. Vos, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 487, 523 (2017)
I.O. Uribe, A. Mosquera-Corral, J.M. Lema, S. Esplugas, AICHE J. 61, 3146 (2015)
P.V. Nidheesh, M. Zhou, M.A. Oturan, Chemosphere 197, 210 (2018)
I. Sirés, E. Brillas, M.A. Oturan, M.A. Rodrigo, M. Panizza, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 21, 8336 (2014)
E. Oturan, N. Oturan, M.A. Oturan, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 226, 135 (2018)
O. Garcia-Rodriguez, Y.Y. Lee, H. Olvera-Vargas, F. Deng, Z. Wang, O. Lefebvre, Electrochim. Acta 276, 12 (2018)
G. Ren, M. Zhou, P. Su, L. Liang, W. Yang, E. Mousset, Chem. Eng. J. 343, 467 (2018)
B.O. Orimolade, O.A. Arotiba, Electrocatalysis 10, 429 (2019)
S. Maddila, V.O. Ndabankulu, S.B. Jonnalagadda, Global Nest J. 18, 269 (2016)
G.G. Bessegato, T.T. Guaraldo, J.F. Brito, M.F. Brugnera, M.V.B. Zanoni, Electrocatalysis 6, 415 (2015)
E.O. Oseghe, S. Maddila, P.G. Ndungu, S.B. Jonnalagadda, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 176-177, 288 (2015)
B. Ayoubi-Feiz, S. Aber, M. Sheydaei, RSC Adv. 5, 19368 (2015)
A. Perek-Dlugosz, A. Socha, M. Socha, J. Rynkowski, Electrocatalysis 6, 563 (2015)
Q. Ma, H. Wang, H. Zhang, X. Cheng, M. Xie, Q. Cheng, Sep. Purif. Technol. 189, 193 (2017)
G. Kumordzi, G. Malekshoar, E.K. Yanful, A.K. Ray, Sep. Purif. Technol. 168, 294 (2016)
L. Zeng, Z. Lu, M. Li, J. Yang, W. Song, D. Zeng, C. Xie, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 183, 308 (2016)
Y.A. Shaban, A.A. El Maradny, R.K. Al Farawati, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A Chem. 328, 114 (2016)
T. Boningari, S.N.R. Inturi, M. Suidan, P.G. Smirniotis, Chem. Eng. J. 339, 249 (2018)
J. You, Y. Guo, R. Guo, X. Liu, Chem. Eng. J. 373, 624 (2019)
Y. Zhang, W. Cui, W. An, L. Liu, Y. Liang, Y. Zhu, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 221, 36 (2018)
R.D.C. Soltani, A. Rezaee, A.R. Khataee, H. Godini, Res. Chem. Intermed. 39, 4277 (2013)
C. Trellu, N. Oturan, F.K. Keita, C. Fourdrin, Y. Pechaud, M.A. Oturan, Environ. Sci. Technol. 52, 7450 (2018)
A. Özcan, A. Atılır Özcan, Y. Demirci, Chem. Eng. J. 304, 518 (2016)
P.A. Diaw, N. Oturan, M.D.G. Seye, A. Coly, A. Tine, J.J. Aaron, M.A. Oturan, Sep. Purif. Technol. 186, 197 (2017)
E. Mousset, Z. Wang, J. Hammaker, O. Lefebvre, Electrochim. Acta 214, 217 (2016)
D. Dixon, D.J. Babu, J. Langner, M. Bruns, L. Pfaffmann, A. Bhaskar, J.J. Schneider, F. Scheiba, H. Ehrenberg, J. Power Sources 332, 240 (2016)
M. Etesami, E. Abouzari-Lotf, A. Ripin, M. Mahmoud Nasef, T.M. Ting, A. Saharkhiz, A. Ahmad, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy 43, 189 (2018)
G. Hu, M. Jing, D.W. Wang, Z. Sun, C. Xu, W. Ren, H.M. Cheng, C. Yan, X. Fan, F. Li, Energy Storage Mater. 13, 66 (2018)
I. Mustafa, I. Lopez, H. Younes, R.A. Susantyoko, R.A. Al-Rub, S. Almheiri, Electrochim. Acta 230, 222 (2017)
M. Park, I.Y. Jeon, J. Ryu, J.B. Baek, J. Cho, Adv. Energy Mater. 5 (2015)
P. Moozarm Nia, E. Abouzari-Lotf, A. Arshad, M.M. Nasef, A. Ripin, J. Electrochem. Soc. 165, E429 (2018)
A. Fetyan, G.A. El-Nagar, I. Derr, P. Kubella, H. Dau, C. Roth, Electrochim. Acta 268, 59 (2018)
K.J. Kim, M.S. Park, J.H. Kim, U. Hwang, N.J. Lee, G. Jeong, Y.J. Kim, Chem. Commun. 48, 5455 (2012)
P.M. Nia, W.P. Meng, Y. Alias, Appl. Surf. Sci. 357, 1565 (2015)
L. Wei, T.S. Zhao, L. Zeng, X.L. Zhou, Y.K. Zeng, Appl. Energy 180, 386 (2016)
X. Wu, H. Xu, L. Lu, H. Zhao, J. Fu, Y. Shen, P. Xu, Y. Dong, J. Power Sources 250, 274 (2014)
Q. Deng, P. Huang, W.X. Zhou, Q. Ma, N. Zhou, H. Xie, W. Ling, C.J. Zhou, Y.X. Yin, X.W. Wu, X.Y. Lu, Y.G. Guo, Adv. Energy Mater. 7 (2017)
C. Noh, S. Moon, Y. Chung, Y. Kwon, J. Mater. Chem. A 5, 21334 (2017)
Chandrasekhar P (2018) Conducting polymers, Fundamentals and Applications 49
P.V. Nidheesh, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Control Ser. 24, 27047 (2017)
W.S. Hummers Jr., R.E. Offeman, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 80, 1339 (1958)
B. Liu, E.S. Aydil, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 3985 (2009)
T.X.H. Le, M. Bechelany, M. Cretin, Carbon 122, 564 (2017)
B.V. Rodrigues, N.C. Leite, B.N. Cavalcanti, N.S. Silva, F.R. Marciano, E.J. Corat, T.J. Webster, A.O. Lobo, Int. J. Nanomedicine 11, 2569 (2016)
S.-Y. Yua, Y. Gao, F.-Z. Chen, G.-C. Fan, D.-M. Han, C. Wang, W.-W. Zhao, Sensors Actuators B Chem. 290, 312 (2019)
Y.H. Zhu, Z.W. Xu, K. Yan, H.B. Zhao, J.D. Zhang, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 9, 40452 (2017)
M. Alizadeh, S.M. Sadrameli, Energ. Buildings 164, 187 (2018)
M. Alizadeh, S.M. Sadrameli, Energ. Buildings 188–189, 297 (2019)
M. Panizza, A. Dirany, I. Sirés, M. Haidar, N. Oturan, M.A. Oturan, J. Appl. Electrochem. 44, 1327 (2014)
Y. Wang, C. Shen, M. Zhang, B.T. Zhang, Y.G. Yu, Chem. Eng. J. 296, 79 (2016)
S. Kumar, S. Singh, V.C. Srivastava, Chem. Eng. J. 263, 135 (2015)
H. Liu, S. Grot, B.E. Logan, Environ. Sci. Technol. 39, 4317 (2005)
K. Gai, J. Chin. Chem. Soc. 53, 627 (2006)
K.G. Pavithra, P.S. Kumar, F.C. Christopher, A. Saravanan, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 110, 379 (2017)
X. Xua, H. Zhaoa, R. Wang, Z. Zhanga, X. Dong, J. Pana, J. Hua, H. Zeng, Nano Energy 48, 337 (2018)
M. Kobya, E. Gengec, E. Demirbas, Chem. Eng. Process. Process Intensif. 101, 87 (2016)
N. Barhoumi, H. Olvera-Vargas, N. Oturan, D. Huguenot, A. Gadri, S. Ammar, E. Brillas, M.A. Oturan, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 209, 637 (2017)
D.G. Bassyouni, H.A. Hamad, E.-S.Z. El-Ashtoukhy, N.K. Amin, M.M.A. El-Latif, J. Hazard. Mater. 335, 178 (2017)
E. Petrucci, L.D. Palma, R. Lavecchia, A. Zuorro, J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 26, 116 (2015)
I.M.S. Pillai, A.K. Gupta, J. Environ. Manag. 176, 45 (2016)
K.W. Pi, Q. Xiao, H.Q. Zhang, M. Xia, A.R. Gerson, Process. Saf. Environ. Prot. 92, 796 (2014)
A. Attour, M. Touati, M. Tlili, M.B. Amor, F. Lapicque, J.P. Leclerc, Sep. Purif. Technol. 123, 124 (2014)
H. Hamad, D. Bassyouni, E.-S. El-Ashtoukhy, N. Amin, M.A. El-Latif, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 148, 501 (2018)
A. Vázquez, I. Rodríguez, I. Lázaro, Chem. Eng. J. 179, 253 (2012)
S. Garcia-Segura, M.M. S.G.Eiband, J.V. Meloa, C.A. Martínez-Huitle, J. Electroanal. Chem. 801, 267 (2017)
J.F. Martínez-Villafañe, C. Montero-Ocampo, A.M. García-Lara, J. Hazard. Mater. 172, 1617 (2009)
E. Brillas, C.A. Martínez-Huitle, Appl. Catal. B Environ. 166–167, 603 (2015)
Y. Gendel, O. Lahav, J. Hazard. Mater. 183, 596 (2010)
M. Panizza, A. Barbucci, R. Ricotti, G. Cerisola, Sep. Purif. Technol. 54, 382 (2007)
Dixon WT and Norman ROC (1964) J. Chem. Soc. (resumed):4850
E.T. Denisov, D.I. Metelitsa, Russ. Chem. Rev. 37, 1547 (1968)
Z.W. Cheng, S. Peng-fei, Y.F. Jiang, J.M. Yu, J.M. Chen, Chem. Eng. J. 228, 1003 (2013)
R.A. Kenley, J.E. Davenport, D.G. Hendry, J. Phys. Chem. 85, 2740 (1981)
M. Rakibuddina, R. Ananthakrishnan, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 15, 86 (2016)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 3090 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Safarvand, D., Naser, I., Samipourgiri, M. et al. Efficient Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation of BTEX Using TiO2/CuO/Cu2O Nanorod-Array Film as the Photoanode and MWCNT/GO/Graphite Felt as the Photocathode. Electrocatalysis 11, 188–202 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-019-00576-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-019-00576-9