Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor

Abstract Textile is one of the industrial sectors producing multiple types of polluting substances, including dyes and nitrate. Lately, the realization of pollutant degradation through electrochemical treatment has been applied more commonly. However, in textile wastewater a high level of organic dy...

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Main Authors: Huimei Zhang, Hong Liu, Wenwen Zhang, Lijuan Wang, Wenxi Qiu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99384-z
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author Huimei Zhang
Hong Liu
Wenwen Zhang
Lijuan Wang
Wenxi Qiu
author_facet Huimei Zhang
Hong Liu
Wenwen Zhang
Lijuan Wang
Wenxi Qiu
author_sort Huimei Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Textile is one of the industrial sectors producing multiple types of polluting substances, including dyes and nitrate. Lately, the realization of pollutant degradation through electrochemical treatment has been applied more commonly. However, in textile wastewater a high level of organic dyes can inhibit the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate. Hence, we construct a tandem reactor to synchronously remove the organic dyes and nitrate contaminants as well as yield the value-added ammonia product from the simulated textile wastewater. The tandem reactor shows impressive efficiency towards photocatalytic decomposing methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and methyl violet (MV) (~ 100%) coupled with NO3 −-to-NH3 conversion (maximum NH3 evolution value of 44.3 μg cm−2) under different bias potentials. Liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC–MS) has been applied to understand the dyes degradation pathways. The dyes are oxidized by active species hydroxyl radicals ·OH and h + under irradiation. The electrons are transferred to the cathode for nitrate reduction. In addition, the tandem reactor displays favorable energy consumption for the simulated textile wastewater treatment. Moreover, mung bean germination experiments were complemented for toxicity assessment of the system. This study presents a conceptual tandem reactor for the synergistic regulation of complex pollutants removal processes, highlighting the potential of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical catalysis coupled to advance sustainable wastewater management technologies.
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spelling doaj-art-fd0a70566a3f45a9a6d22cba28864c752025-08-20T01:48:53ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-99384-zPhotocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactorHuimei Zhang0Hong Liu1Wenwen Zhang2Lijuan Wang3Wenxi Qiu4School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical CollegeSchool of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical CollegeSchool of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical CollegeSchool of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical CollegeSchool of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical CollegeAbstract Textile is one of the industrial sectors producing multiple types of polluting substances, including dyes and nitrate. Lately, the realization of pollutant degradation through electrochemical treatment has been applied more commonly. However, in textile wastewater a high level of organic dyes can inhibit the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate. Hence, we construct a tandem reactor to synchronously remove the organic dyes and nitrate contaminants as well as yield the value-added ammonia product from the simulated textile wastewater. The tandem reactor shows impressive efficiency towards photocatalytic decomposing methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and methyl violet (MV) (~ 100%) coupled with NO3 −-to-NH3 conversion (maximum NH3 evolution value of 44.3 μg cm−2) under different bias potentials. Liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC–MS) has been applied to understand the dyes degradation pathways. The dyes are oxidized by active species hydroxyl radicals ·OH and h + under irradiation. The electrons are transferred to the cathode for nitrate reduction. In addition, the tandem reactor displays favorable energy consumption for the simulated textile wastewater treatment. Moreover, mung bean germination experiments were complemented for toxicity assessment of the system. This study presents a conceptual tandem reactor for the synergistic regulation of complex pollutants removal processes, highlighting the potential of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and electrochemical catalysis coupled to advance sustainable wastewater management technologies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99384-zTandem reactorTextile wastewaterPhotoelectrocatalysisDyes
spellingShingle Huimei Zhang
Hong Liu
Wenwen Zhang
Lijuan Wang
Wenxi Qiu
Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
Scientific Reports
Tandem reactor
Textile wastewater
Photoelectrocatalysis
Dyes
title Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
title_full Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
title_fullStr Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
title_full_unstemmed Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
title_short Photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate-rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
title_sort photocatalytic degradation and upcycling of nitrate rich textile wastewater to ammonia over a tandem reactor
topic Tandem reactor
Textile wastewater
Photoelectrocatalysis
Dyes
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99384-z
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AT wenwenzhang photocatalyticdegradationandupcyclingofnitraterichtextilewastewatertoammoniaoveratandemreactor
AT lijuanwang photocatalyticdegradationandupcyclingofnitraterichtextilewastewatertoammoniaoveratandemreactor
AT wenxiqiu photocatalyticdegradationandupcyclingofnitraterichtextilewastewatertoammoniaoveratandemreactor