Ternary Heterojunctions Supported on Polymeric Structures for Visible Light Applications in Water Treatment

• Grant number: 24/20680-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 28, 2025
• End date: February 27, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Carlos Silva Costa Teixeira
• Grantee: Geovânia Cordeiro de Assis
• Supervisor: Maria Jose Fernandes Sampaio
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/11590-0 - Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of TiO2-Based Metal Oxide Heterojunctions with Potential Applications in Photocatalytic Systems, BP.PD

Abstract

The presence of contaminants of emerging concern, such as pharmaceuticals, in the environment has caused growing alarm worldwide, as these compounds can spread serious problems for aquatic ecosystems and humans. Their occurrence in aqueous matrices has shown that conventional wastewater treatment methods are ineffective in removing most of these compounds, therefore, new and more effective treatment processes need to be investigated and improved. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has shown promise for destroying hazardous contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals. This project aims to develop ternary heterojunctions based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) modified with the binary heterojunctions previously investigated in Brazil (TiO2/RuO2/g-C3N4 and TiO2/GO/g-C3N4). These new heterojunctions will be immobilized on polymeric supports using two different methodologies (immobilization on poly(lactic acid) - (PLA)-based supports obtained by 3D printing and immobilization on polyurethane (PU) to obtain catalytic photomembranes). The resulting photocatalytic structures will be thoroughly characterized to confirm the robustness and integrity of the photocatalyst. In addition, the photocatalytic efficiency will be investigated in the removal of acetaminophen under visible light. Material recovery and performance stability will be evaluated. Then, the efficiency of the most promising photocatalytic structure will be tested using real wastewater samples. This approach aims to improve contaminant removal systems, enhance the stability of active photocatalysts under visible light, enable effective degradation of organic pollutants and propose efficient immobilized photocatalyst for real-world applications.