Cited by 889Advanced oxidation water treatmentAdvanced Photocatalysis TechniquesEnvironmental remediation with nanomaterials

Heterogeneous Fenton catalysts: A review of recent advances

Open access
Thomas, Nishanth, Dionysiou, Dionysios D., Pillai, Suresh C.·2021·Journal of Hazardous Materials

Abstract

Heterogeneous Fenton catalysts are emerging as excellent materials for applications related to water purification. In this review, recent trends in the synthesis and application of heterogeneous Fenton catalysts for the abatement of organic pollutants and disinfection of microorganisms are discussed. It is noted that as the complexity of cell wall increases, the resistance level towards various disinfectants increases and it requires either harsh conditions or longer exposure time for the complete disinfection. In case of viruses, enveloped viruses (e.g. SARS-CoV-2) are found to be more susceptible to disinfectants than the non-enveloped viruses. The introduction of plasmonic materials with the Fenton catalysts broadens the visible light absorption efficiency of the hybrid material, and incorporation of semiconductor material improves the rate of regeneration of Fe(II) from Fe(III). A special emphasis is given to the use of Fenton catalysts for antibacterial applications. Composite materials of magnetite and ferrites remain a champion in this area because of their easy separation and reuse, owing to their magnetic properties. Iron minerals supported on clay materials, perovskites, carbon materials, zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) dramatically increase the catalytic degradation rate of contaminants by providing high surface area, good mechanical stability, and improved electron transfer. Moreover, insights to the zero-valent iron and its capacity to remove a wide range of organic pollutants, heavy metals and bacterial contamination are also discussed. Real world applications and the role of natural organic matter are summarised. Parameter optimisation (e.g. light source, dosage of catalyst, concentration of H2O2 etc.), sustainable models for the reusability or recyclability of the catalyst and the theoretical understanding and mechanistic aspects of the photo-Fenton process are also explained. Additionally, this review summarises the opportunities and future directions of research in the heterogeneous Fenton catalysis.

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  • Photoirradiation can break the peroxobond (-O-O-) in oxidants such as H2O2, persulfates, and ozone.

    “In this process, the photoirradiation can break the peroxobond (-O-O-) in the oxidants, such as H2O2, persulfates, and ozone (Equation (6)) [84-87].”

    From Advanced Oxidation Processes for Degradation of Water Pollutants—Ambivalent Impact of Carbonate Species: A Review (2023) · cites this paper as [87]

    The section “Mechanism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and disinfection” says UV illumination of H2O2 or O3 produces hydroxyl radicals in situ. It does not describe cleavage of the -O-O- bond or extend that mechanism to persulfates, so the full claim is not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 18

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Thomas, N., Dionysiou, D. D., & Pillai, S. C.
Affiliations
  • Institute of Technology Sligo (IE)
  • University of Cincinnati (US)
Corresponding author
Pillai, Suresh C.
Venue
Journal of Hazardous Materials
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-02
Volume
404
Issue
Pt B
Pages
124082
ISSN
0304-3894 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3090116547
Cited by
889
References
330
Citations by year
2026: 151 · 2025: 165 · 2024: 152 · 2023: 187 · 2022: 164 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 5
FWCI
5.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Hazardous Materials (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research@THEA (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Horizon 2020
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Advanced oxidation water treatment
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Environmental remediation with nanomaterials
Keywords
heterogeneous Fenton catalyst, photo-Fenton process, organic pollutant degradation, SARS-CoV-2, plasmonic materials, metal-organic frameworks, zeolites, perovskite, zero-valent iron, heavy metal removal, natural organic matter, catalyst reusability, antibacterial materials
MeSH terms
Metal-Organic Frameworks, Catalysis, Disinfection, Humic Substances, Hydrogen Peroxide, Iron, Light, Minerals, Oxidation-Reduction, Photochemistry, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Reactive Oxygen Species, Water Purification, Wastewater

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