DEGRADATION OF PESTICIDES 2,4-D E IMIDACLOPRID VIA ADVANCED OXIDATIVE PROCESSES: THE INFLUENCE OF HETEROESTRUCTURED MATERIALS IN THE MODIFICATION OF GAS-DIFFUSION ELECTRODES

• Grant number: 24/18531-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Roberto de Vasconcelos Lanza
• Grantee: Wyllamanney da Silva Sczancoski
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12895-1 - Advanced processes for the degradation of emerging pollutants: catalytic materials, electroanalytical sensors and scientific dissemination, AP.TEM

Abstract

Despite being a cornerstone of the economy, the current agricultural model is characterized by high water consumption and excessive use of pesticides in crops. This sector impacts both availability and contamination of water resources. The agricultural pesticide industry generates a huge volume of wastewater containing different active pesticide compounds. The consumption of water contaminated by emerging pollutants can trigger serious problems for the human health and put ecosystems at risk. In this context, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) stand out as one of the most promising and effective technologies for wastewater treatment. Among the several types of AOPs, those that use hydrogen peroxide (H¿O¿) to produce hydroxyl radicals (*OH), highly reactive species capable of degrading organic pollutants, stand out. H¿O¿ can be produced by the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), using gas-diffusion electrodes. However, the development of new materials with both high photoelectrocatalytic activity and stability is one of the great scientific challenges. The present proposal aims to synthesize semiconductor heterostructures (modifiers) on carbon supports for in situ H¿O¿ generation via ORR, with the purpose of degrading the pesticides 2,4-D and imidacloprid. The electrodes will be made based on heterostructures formed by Fe and Ni combined with W, Mo, and/or Zr, as binary oxides or mixed systems. The structural analyses will be carried out by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-vis absorption spectrophotometry. The morphological aspects will be verified by scanning electron microscopy. The pesticide degradation process will be monitored by total organic carbon, and chromatographic methods. (AU)