Energy generation from the (photo)catalytic contaminants oxidation in different domestic and industrial wastewater

• Grant number: 24/07586-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Lucia Helena Mascaro Sales
• Grantee: Matheus Gabriel Guardiano dos Santos
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Química (IQ)
• Associated research grant: 17/11986-5 - Generation and storage of New Energy: bringing technological development for the country, AP.PCPE

Abstract

The presence of contaminants from industrial and hospital waste and human consumption in the environment is a matter of global concern due to the effects that these contaminants can cause to the environment and human health. Furthermore, another global concern is the need to generate energy from sustainable sources to preserve the environment. In this scenario, (photo)electrocatalytic processes have demonstrated good efficiency for the oxidation of organic contaminants and for the reduction of H2O and production of H2, respectively. This project aims to apply (photo)electrocatalysis using BiVO4 electrodes doped with rare earths (cerium and gadolinium) in a reactor for the oxidation of organic contaminants concomitantly with the reduction of H2O for energy generation, evaluating different contaminants present in domestic effluents (antibiotics ciprofloxacin, sulfadiazine and sulfamethoxazole) and industrial effluents, as well as different doping agents. Different contaminant degradation parameters will be evaluated, such as pH of the medium, applied current density and process application time. Chromatographic methods will be developed and validated for quantification o contaminants, identification of transformation products and quantification of H2 generated during reduction, evaluating the need for coupling (photo)electrocatalysis with another process, such as photo-electro-Fenton. It is expected to expand the study to apply the (photo)electrocatalytic process in domestic effluents from São Carlos-SP and industrial effluents from Recife-PE, in partnership with CETENE (Center for Strategic Technologies of the Northeast), aiming to use biomass that would otherwise be discarded in the form of contaminants in the energy generation environment.