title: Sacrificial photocatalysis: removal of nitrate and hydrogen production by nano-copper-loaded P25 titania. A kinetic and ecotoxicological assessment.
abstract: The photocatalytic removal of nitrate with simultaneous hydrogen generation was demonstrated using zero-valent nano-copper-modified titania (P25) as photocatalyst in the presence of UV-A-Vis radiation. Glycerol, a by-product in biodiesel production, was chosen as a hole scavenger. Under the adopted experimental conditions, a nitrate removal efficiency up to 100% and a simultaneous hydrogen production up to 14 μmol/L of H2were achieved (catalyst load = 150 mg/L, initial concentration of nitrate = 50 mg/L, initial concentration of glycerol = 0.8 mol/L). The reaction rates were independent of the starting glycerol concentration. This process allows accomplishing nitrate removal, with the additional benefit of producing hydrogen under artificial UV-A radiation. A kinetic model was also developed and it may represent a benchmark for a detailed understanding of the process kinetics. A set of acute and chronic bioassays (Vibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, and Daphnia magna) was performed to evaluate the potential ecotoxicity of the nitrate/by-product mixture formed during the photocatalytic process. The ecotoxicological assessment indicated an ecotoxic effect of oxidation intermediates and by-products produced during the process.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lucchetti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", via Cinthia ed. 7, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Clarizia
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione, Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche IRC-CNR, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Natale
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Napoli "Federico II", via Cinthia ed. 7, 80126, Naples, Italy. marco.guida@unina.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andreozzi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università di Napoli "Federico II", P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy. rmarotta@unina.it.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0548-7087
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marotta
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010316:Particle Size; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D012996:Solutions; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D012996:Solutions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D003300:Copper; D006859:Hydrogen; D014025:Titanium; D005990:Glycerol
keywords: Ecotoxicity; Glycerol; Hydrogen production; Nitrate removal; Photoreforming; Sacrificial photocatalysis