Isolation, Characterization, and Environmental Application of Bio-Based Materials as Auxiliaries in Photocatalytic Processes

Abstract

Sustainable alternative substrates for advanced applications represent an increasing field of research that attracts the attention of worldwide experts (in accordance with green chemistry principles). In this context, bio-based substances (BBS) isolated from urban composted biowaste were purified and characterized. Additionally, these materials were tested as auxiliaries in advanced oxidizing photocatalytic processes for the abatement of organic contaminants in aqueous medium. Results highlighted the capability of these substances to enhance efficiency in water remediation treatments under mild conditions, favoring the entire light-driven photocatalytic process.

The Innovation Comes from the Sea: Chitosan and Alginate Hybrid Gels and Films as Sustainable Materials for Wastewater Remediation

“…37%) and the spin-label 5-doxylstearic acid, free radical (5-DXS, CAS 29545-48-0) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. The bio-based substances (BBS-GC) were isolated from composted urban biowastes, following a procedure reported in the literature [61].…”

New Insights on the Photodegradation of Caffeine in the Presence of Bio-Based Substances-Magnetic Iron Oxide Hybrid Nanomaterials

“…Materials such as compost, anaerobic digestate, and organic residues from mechanical-biological treatment of UBW can be studied as biomass that could be used to feed a biorefinery [ 21 ]. It was previously demonstrated that with this approach, it is possible to extract from UBW, anaerobically and/or aerobically treated, bio-based substances (hereinafter BBS) featuring similarly to soil humic substances under the structural and physicochemical point of view [ 22 , 23 ]. Bio-based substances have been tested in several technological and environmental applications, including wastewater treatment [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Compost-derived bio-based substances (BBS-Cs) have been previously obtained from commercially composted urban biowastes [ 38 ] following a standard procedure for the humic acid isolation from soils; these composted biowastes are derived from urban public park trimmings and home gardening residues aged for more than 180 days [ 22 ]. After isolation, BBS-Cs have been characterized for their physico-chemical features [ 22 ].…”

“…Compost-derived bio-based substances (BBS-Cs) have been previously obtained from commercially composted urban biowastes [ 38 ] following a standard procedure for the humic acid isolation from soils; these composted biowastes are derived from urban public park trimmings and home gardening residues aged for more than 180 days [ 22 ]. After isolation, BBS-Cs have been characterized for their physico-chemical features [ 22 ]. Compost-derived bio-based substances have been chosen to prepare hybrid magnetic nanoparticles to be tested in the caffeine photodegradation process in order to increase the value of a material that is a product of a “virtuous” waste management approach, but, even if commercially available, does not have a market value suitable for compensating the cost of its production (including the initial separate waste collection).…”

Tips and Tricks for the Surface Engineering of Well‐Ordered Morphologically Driven Silver‐Based Nanomaterials

“…However, this is the standard definition, since several further (and more complex) chemical structures showing amphiphilic properties are possible (e. g., humic substances, (co)polymers, crown ethers, and so on). [53][54][55][56] According to the hydrophilic functional groups, they can be classified as ionic (charged) or non-ionic (polar uncharged) surfactants. Due to their peculiar structure, they can self-organize themselves into supramolecular aggregates (micelles), able in preventing the aggregation phenomena but also exploitable in soft-templating processes.…”