Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
07:32
Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
10.2K
Interfacial engineering with nanobubbles to enhance the polymerization transfer pathway for efficient water
Jingyi Zhu1, Lingjun Bu1, Shuo Zhang2
1Hunan Engineering Research Center of Water Security Technology and Application, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China.
Journal of Environmental Management
|April 13, 2026
Summary
Nanobubbles enhance the polymerization transfer pathway in advanced oxidation processes for efficient wastewater treatment. This sustainable method significantly removes acetaminophen, offering a promising alternative to conventional techniques.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Conventional mineralization in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is energy-intensive.
- The polymerization transfer (PT) pathway presents a sustainable alternative for total organic carbon (TOC) abatement.
- Effective strategies are needed to enhance PT pathway efficiency in wastewater treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an interfacial engineering strategy using nanobubbles (NBs) to enhance the PT pathway.
- To investigate the effect of NBs on the carbon nanotube (CNT)/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system for TOC removal.
- To elucidate the mechanism behind NB-enhanced PT pathway and its impact on catalytic activity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized nanobubbles (NBs) for interfacial engineering in a carbon nanotube (CNT)/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system.
- Quantified TOC removal of acetaminophen using NB/CNT/PMS, CNT/PMS, and NB/PMS systems.
- Performed molecular structure analysis on CNT surface deposits and mechanistic studies on reaction pathways.
Main Results:
- The NB/CNT/PMS system achieved 81% TOC removal of acetaminophen, significantly outperforming CNT/PMS and NB/PMS systems.
- Increased C-C and C-O coupling polymeric products were observed, confirming dominance of the PT pathway.
- NBs promoted CNT aggregation into confined microreactors, enhancing electron transfer and phenoxy radical yields, while suppressing CNT deactivation over 50 cycles.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial engineering with NBs effectively enhances the PT pathway in CNT/PMS systems for efficient TOC abatement.
- The strategy offers a sustainable and high-performance approach for wastewater decontamination via PT-dominated AOPs.
- This method shows potential for recovering polymeric products and maintaining long-term catalytic stability.
