Improvements in Catalyst Synthesis and Photocatalytic Oxidation Processing Based on the Use of Ultrasound

The efficacy of photocatalysis strongly depends on the activity of the catalysts and the operational factors, especially factors associated with mass transfer and the possibility of catalyst deactivation. The use of ultrasound has great potential to enhance catalyst activity, during both the synthesis and actual oxidation processes due to the cavitational effects of turbulence and liquid streaming. This article presents an overview of the application aspects of ultrasound, both in the synthesis of the photocatalyst and applications for wastewater treatment. A review of the literature revealed that the use of ultrasound in the synthesis processes can result in a catalyst with a lower mean size and higher surface area as well as uniform size distribution. The application of ultrasound in the actual photocatalytic oxidation facilitates enhancement of the oxidation capacity, leading to higher degradation rates, sometimes synergistic results and definitely lower treatment times. This article also presents guidelines for the selection of the best operating conditions for the use of ultrasound in photocatalytic systems and includes a discussion on the possible reactor configurations suitable for large-scale operations. Overall, a combination of ultrasound with photocatalytic oxidation or the optimized application of ultrasound in catalyst synthesis can yield significant benefits.