FutureofPhotocatalysis_revised_2018_11_25_clean.pdf (4.53 MB)
The technology horizon for photocatalytic water treatment: sunrise or sunset?
journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-28, 13:15 authored by Stephanie K. Loeb, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Jonathon A. Brame, Ezra L. Cates, Wonyong Choi, John Crittenden, Dionysios D. Dionysiou, Qilin Li, Gianluca Li-Puma, Xie Quan, David L. Sedlak, T. David Waite, Paul Westerhoff, Jae-Hong KimAdvanced oxidation processes via semiconductor photocatalysis for water treatment have been the subject of extensive research over the past three decades, producing many scientific reports focused on elucidating mechanisms and enhancing kinetics for the treatment of contaminants in water. Many of these reports imply that the ultimate goal of the research is to apply photocatalysis in municipal water treatment operations. However, this ignores immense technology transfer problems, perpetuating a widening gap between academic advocation and industrial application. In this Feature, we undertake a critical examination of the trajectory of photocatalytic water treatment research, assessing the viability of proposed applications and identifying those with the most promising future. Several strategies are proposed for scientists and engineers who aim to support research efforts to bring industrially relevant photocatalytic water treatment processes to fruition. Although the reassessed potential may not live up to initial academic hype, an unfavorable assessment in some areas does not preclude the transfer of photocatalysis for water treatment to other niche applications as the technology retains substantive and unique benefits.
Funding
This work was supported by the NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT, EEC-1449500). D.L.S.’s contribution was supported by the Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIT, EEC-1028968).
History
School
- Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Department
- Chemical Engineering
Published in
Environmental Science and TechnologyVolume
53Issue
6Pages
2937–2947Citation
LOEB, S.K. ... et al, 2018. The technology horizon for photocatalytic water treatment: sunrise or sunset?. Environmental Science and Technology, 53 (6), pp.2937–2947.Publisher
© American Chemical SocietyVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Environmental Science and Technology, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b05041Publication date
2018-12-21Copyright date
2019ISSN
0013-936XeISSN
1520-5851Publisher version
Language
- en