Project

To reach the general objective of fabrication of an easy-to-handle photocatalytically-regenerable adsorbent for enhanced dye removal and degradation of organic pollutants from wastewater, a hierarchical approach composed of 3 objectives will be pursued in PHOTOPAD.

OBJECTIVE 1 aims to enhance the organic pollutants adsorption efficiency and the efficacy of light activated photocatalysis. 

CNR and UniBa will develop:

• new highly effective biobased micro/mesoporous adsorbents characterized by high specific surface area (SSA) and tuneable porosity 

• innovative photocatalytic Ceria nanoparticles (CeNPs), with and without dopants, with engineered size and surface defects for tuneable physical and chemical properties towards excellent photocatalytic properties.

OBJECTIVE 2 aims to merge the adsorption and photocatalytic function in a composite material, providing a sustainable technology for adsorbent regeneration from organic contaminants. The photocatalytic degradation of the adsorbate will be facilitated due to the large SSA of the adsorbents, the extended visible light response of the CeNPs and their increased colloidal stability. 

Finally, since adsorbent powders recovery from water represents a management cost towards adsorbent reusability, OBJECTIVE 3 foresees the development of an easy to handle photocatalytically-active adsorbent, by embedding high SSA particles and photocatalytic CeNPs in macroporous materials. A hierarchically porous photoregenerable adsorbent will contribute to make adsorption technology even more economically and environmentally sustainable, providing enhanced effectiveness of adsorption of organic contaminants from water, improving the simultaneous photocatalytic degradation and adsorbent regeneration and preventing possible leaching of nanoparticles.

WP5: Activities related to the dissemination and exploitation of the outcomes, as well as on the management of the project, will embrace all the WPs.