NSRRC Activity Report 2022

Environmental and Earth Sciences 071 absorption of PCP onto Ni–Fe surfaces by CTAB and accelerated the reduction of PCP. In addition, the combination of CTAB with the bulky, soft surface of Ni–Fe NPs enabled enhanced electron transfer from the zerovalent Fe core. Short-chain organic acids were also evaluated to avoid the use of metal. Oxalic acid (OA) enhanced PCP degradation by NZVI compared with other short-chain organic acids. OA yielded the highest efficiency of PCP dechlorination by NZVI due to its strong complexation and pH buffering properties. This environmentally safe treatment strategy does away with the need for doping with secondary metals and facilitates the decontamination of POPs. This study also synthesized TiO 2 nanotubes to effectively degrade antibiotic sulfamethoxazole by photoelectrocatalysis. This team of researchers recently synthesized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) with Fe–Cu NPs and graphene quantum dots (GQDs)/g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposites; both are ecologically sound materials for organic pollutant degradation— namely, for TBBPA and its byproduct bisphenol A. 5,6 Figure 2 illustrates a potential solution for complete TBBPA degradation by g-C 3 N 4 . (Reported by Yun-Cheng Mei and Kai Wang, National Taiwan University) This report features the work of Yang-Hsin Shih and his collaborators published in J. Hazard. Mater. 432 , 128630 (2022). TLS 13A1 X-ray Scattering TLS 17C1 EXAFS • XRD, XANES • Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Environmental Science References 1. R. S. Sahu, Y.-H. Peng, C.-F. Ko, T.-H. Chou, H. N. Ctherine, C.-Y. Yang, C.-P. Tso, Y.-F. Su, Y.-H. Shih, Trends Environ. Anal. Chem. 30 , e00126 (2021). 2. Y.-J. Li, C.-H. Chuang, W.-C. Cheng, S.-H. Chen, W.-L. Chen, Y.-J. Lin, C.-Y. Lin, Y.-H. Shih, J. Hazard. Mater. 430 , 128465 (2022). 3. C.-H. Lin, Y.-H. Shih, J. MacFarlane, J. Chem. Eng. 262 , 59 (2015). 4. C.-S. Kuo, D. T. F. Kuo, A. Chang, K. Wang, P.-H. Chou, Y.- H. Shih, J. Hazard. Mater. 432 , 128630 (2022). 5. R. S. Sahu, Y.-H. Shih, J. Chem. Eng. 378 , 122059 (2019). 6. R. S. Sahu, Y.-H. Shih, W.-L. Chen, J. Hazard. Mater. 402 , 123509 (2021). Fig. 2 : Sequential debromination of TBBPA in the absence of light and BPA mineralization under solar light irradiation using exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride. [Reproduced from Ref. 6]