Degradation of amitriptyline by photo-electro-Fenton process using a gas diffusion electrode modified with FeSe2, ZrSe2 and HfSe2 nanoparticles

• Grant number: 24/07894-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 30, 2024
• End date: September 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza
• Grantee: Fausto Eduardo Bimbi Júnior
• Supervisor: Sergio Garcia Segura
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Arizona State University, Tempe (ASU), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/04053-0 - Synthesis of new heterogeneous iron-based nanocatalysts (FeSe2 and Fe3O4) for application in the degradation of psychiatric drugs via photo-electro-Fenton process, BP.DR

Abstract

The use of drugs to treat mental health issues has dramatically increased during the last decade, with a peak consumption observed during the post-pandemic. The presence of these psycho-active pharmaceuticals in the environment poses a major environmental health challenge. Traditional water treatment technologies have been proven to be ineffective on the treatment of these emerging organic pollutants. Thus, alternative technologies capable of removing pharmaceuticals from water sources are urgently needed. Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOP) are emerging technologies that produce strong oxidants in situ that completely mineralize organic pollutants. Among EAOPs, the processes based on Fenton chemistry have shown high promise on the removal of different recalcitrant organic pollutants. In the electro-Fenton (EF) process, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is electrogenerated in situ as precursor of oxidizing species like hydroxyl radicals (ÏOH) that are produced in the bulk through catalysts (e.g., iron ions, redox active nanoparticles). When the EF is combined with light irradiation in the photoelectron-Fenton (PEF) process it is possible to enable additional photon-driven reactions to generate additional oxidizing species or even activate additional photodegradation processes to mineralize organics. The use of selenides nanoparticles (NPs) that have low band gap energy can add photocatalytic properties to this system, increasing the kinetics of production of oxidizing species that facilitate the degradation of organic pollutants. However, antidepressive pharmaceuticals have been barely studied in the literature. In this scope, the present project aims to elucidate and advance our fundamental understanding on the degradation of the antidepressive drug Amitriptyline (AMT). We will evaluate the synergistic heterogeneous process enabled by a dual-role cathode material: the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with Printex L6 carbon (PL6C) modified with FeSe2, ZrSe2 and HfSe2 NPs. Using the GDE/PL6C/NPs as an electrocatalyst for the ORR 2 e- process and through their simultaneous use as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for the AMT degradation process, the bifunctionality of this electrode will be evaluated.