Converting cellulose waste into a high-efficiency photocatalyst for Cr(VI) reduction via molecular oxygen activation

Treatment of the huge amount of cellulose waste is an urgent challenge. Here, cellulose waste is used to prepare photocatalyst for molecular O-2 activation by using a sulfuric acid-assisted hydrothermal method. The product can activate O-2 to produce superoxide anion (O-center dot(2)-), which can be subsequently used in Cr(VI) pollution remediation effectively by reducing it into Cr(III). The Cr(VI) removal efficiency can reach 90 % in 100 min. This is important to achieve sustainable utilization of O-2 and solar energy. Compared with glucose, cellulose is a superior raw material for the synthesis of photocatalytic acid-HTCC. It exhibits higher reduction power due to its more negative conduction band edge. This low-cost, easy to prepare, and environment friendly acid-HTCC could have promising applications in environmental treatments. This work successfully turns waste into wealth, relieving the environmental concerns of cellulose waste, and provides a way to solve the urgent environmental pollution at present.

Automated summary

The treatment of cellulose waste is an urgent challenge, and using a sulfuric acid-assisted hydrothermal method can effectively prepare a photocatalyst for reducing Cr(VI) pollution. Compared to glucose, cellulose is a superior raw material for this synthesis, showing promising applications in environmental treatments.