Engineering a scalable photoelectrocatalytic reactor: Advancing TRL for sustainable wastewater treatment with 3D-printed innovation and Ti-WO3 efficiency
The increasing demand for efficient and sustainable solutions in wastewater treatment and clean energy generation has driven the advancement of photoelectrocatalysis (PhEC), emerging as a promising alternative technology. This study presents the design, development, and validation of a novel photoel...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha |
| Repositorio: | RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/45417 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.166602 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894725074406 https://hdl.handle.net/10578/45417 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Coulombic efficiency Energy efficiency High-power LED LED irradiation Mechanical design Photoelectrochemical cell |
| Sumario: | The increasing demand for efficient and sustainable solutions in wastewater treatment and clean energy generation has driven the advancement of photoelectrocatalysis (PhEC), emerging as a promising alternative technology. This study presents the design, development, and validation of a novel photoelectrochemical reactor (E3L-PECR), engineered through 3D printing to optimize faradaic and energy efficiencies in degrading recalcitrant organic pollutants. The reactor was coupled with a Ti-WO3 photoanode and evaluated under distinct LED irradiation conditions. Despite its lower energy consumption, high-brightness (HB) LEDs exhibited reduced photoelectrochemical performance. High-power (HP) LEDs provided superior photocurrent densities (1.65 mA cm-2 at 0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) removal efficiency (90 % in 120 min), along with enhanced coulombic efficiency. A heat dissipation system was necessary for the operation of HP LEDs. The optimized PhEC conditions resulted in effective 4-NP degradation, the generation of short-chain organic acids, and a 65 % reduction in phytotoxicity, as supported by radical scavenger analysis. The Ti-WO3 electrode demonstrated good stability across five reuse cycles. Overall, the E3L-PECR photoelectroreactor represents a significant advancement in PhEC reactor design, offering high efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and the potential for scalable applications in water treatment. |
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