Papers by José Rivera-utrilla
Catalysts, Jan 19, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Applied Catalysis B-environmental, 2017
Catalysts, 2020
The objective of this study was to summarize the results obtained in a wide research project carr... more The objective of this study was to summarize the results obtained in a wide research project carried out for more than 15 years on the catalytic activity of different catalysts (activated carbon, metal–carbon xerogels/aerogels, iron-doped silica xerogels, ruthenium metal complexes, reduced graphene oxide-metal oxide composites, and zeolites) in the photooxidation (by using UV or solar radiation) and ozonation of water pollutants, including herbicides, naphthalenesulfonic acids, sodium para-chlorobenzoate, nitroimidazoles, tetracyclines, parabens, sulfamethazine, sodium diatrizoate, cytarabine, and surfactants. All catalysts were synthesized and then texturally, chemically, and electronically characterized using numerous experimental techniques, including N2 and CO2 adsorption, mercury porosimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy, photo...
Catalysts, 2020
Heterogeneous photocatalysts for water decontamination were obtained by the optimized synthesis o... more Heterogeneous photocatalysts for water decontamination were obtained by the optimized synthesis of bismuth-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO/Bi) using the Hummer method and microwave treatment. Sulfamethazine (SMZ) was used as model pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic efficacy. Photocatalysts were characterized by VP-SEM, HRTEM, XDR, XPS, RAMAN, and FTIR analyses, which confirmed the effective reduction of GO to rGO and the presence of bismuth as a crystalline phase of Bi2O3 polydispersed on the surface. Their performance was influenced by the rGO/Bi ratio, microwave temperature, and treatment time. The as-obtained 5%rGO/Bi composite had the highest photocatalytic activity for SMZ degradation under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm), achieving 100% degradation after only 2 h of treatment. The degradation yield decreased with higher percentages of rGO. Accordingly, the rGO/Bi catalysts efficiently removed SMZ, showing a high photocatalytic activity, and remained ...
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017
Role of activated carbon surface chemistry in its photocatalytic activity and the generation of o... more Role of activated carbon surface chemistry in its photocatalytic activity and the generation of oxidant radicals under UV or solar radiation, Applied Catalysis B, Environmental http://dx.
New Journal of Chemistry, 2010
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2012
The overall adsorption rate of single micropollutants present in landfill leachates such as phtha... more The overall adsorption rate of single micropollutants present in landfill leachates such as phthalic acid (PA), bisphenol A (BPA), diphenolic acid (DPA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid (2,4-D), and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) on two commercial activated carbons was studied. The experimental data obtained were interpreted by using a diffusional model (PVSDM) that considers external mass transport, intraparticle diffusion, and adsorption on an active site. Furthermore, the concentration decay data were interpreted by using kinetics models. Results revealed that PVSDM model satisfactorily fitted the experimental data of adsorption rate on activated carbon. The tortuosity factor of the activated carbons used ranged from 2 to 4. The contribution of pore volume diffusion represented more than 92% of intraparticle diffusion confirming that pore volume diffusion is the controlling mechanism of the overall rate of adsorption and surface diffusion can be neglected. The experimental data were satisfactorily fitted the kinetic models. The second-order kinetic model was better fitted the experimental adsorption data than the first-order model.
Advanced Research in Nanosciences for Water Technology, 2019
The increasing demand for hydric resources inevitably requires the greater use of alternative sou... more The increasing demand for hydric resources inevitably requires the greater use of alternative sources for the supply of drinking water. Stricter drinking water quality guidelines can also be expected, such as those proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Consequently, there is a need to implement effective technologies for halide removal from water to avoid the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). There are innumerable individual DBP species that cannot plausibly be controlled and regulated, and the removal of DBP precursors offers the key advantage of minimizing the formation of all brominated and/or iodized DBPs, including known or unknown and regulated or nonregulated products, in a simple and effective manner. Bromide and iodine removal methods are classified into three categories: membrane, electrochemical, and adsorption techniques. Membrane techniques (reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, electrodialysis) have demonstrated excellent effectiveness to remove halides but are costly and energetically inefficient. Electrochemical techniques (electrolysis, capacitive deionization [CDI], and membrane CDI [MCDI]) have also shown good halide removal capacity but, unlike membrane techniques, they do not effectively remove natural organic matter (NOM), essential for the control of DBP formation. After further technological development, CDI and/or MCDI may prove suitable for application in drinking water treatments. Variable results have been obtained for bromide and/or iodine removal using adsorption techniques (hydrated oxides, activated carbons, carbon aerogels, ion-exchange resins, aluminum coagulation, and flocculation), which are limited by interference with halide adsorption from competitor anions and NOM. Nevertheless, the adsorption approach is a promising research area, given its relatively low cost and easy application. Water treatment companies continuously improve coagulation processes or add nonselective adsorbents to reduce the presence of DBP precursors and achieve disinfection with minimum DBP generation. The search for new approaches has been stimulated by more restrictive legislation on maximum DBP concentrations in water intended for human consumption. The development of nanotechnology has been responsible for novel approaches to water treatment and disinfection and other environmental problems based on the intrinsic characteristics of nanoparticles, including their large surface area, high reactivity, and surface plasmon resonance, among others.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The construction industry has a considerable environmental impact in societies, which must be con... more The construction industry has a considerable environmental impact in societies, which must be controlled to achieve adequate sustainability levels. In particular, cement production contributes 5–8% of CO2 emissions worldwide, mainly from the utilization of clinker. This study applied Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to investigate the environmental impact of cement production and explore environmental improvements obtained by adding marble waste sludges in the manufacture of Portland cement. It was considered that 6–35% of the limestone required for its production could be supplied by marble waste sludge (mainly calcite), meeting the EN 197-1:2011 norm. Energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data were obtained from the Ecovent database using commercial LCA software. All life cycle impact assessment indicators were lower for the proposed “eco-cement” than for conventional cement, attributable to changes in the utilization of limestone and clinker. The most favora...
Catalysts, 2020
A series of reduced graphene oxide-TiO2 composites (rGO-TiO2) were prepared by hydrothermal treat... more A series of reduced graphene oxide-TiO2 composites (rGO-TiO2) were prepared by hydrothermal treatment using graphite and titanium isopropoxide as raw materials. The structural, surface, electronic, and optical properties of the prepared composites were extensively characterized by N2 adsorption, FTIR, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and DRS. GO was found to be effectively reduced and TiO2 to be in pure anatase phase in all composites obtained. Finally, experiments were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of these new materials as photocatalysts in the degradation of ethylparaben (EtP) by UV radiation. According to the band-gap energies obtained (ranging between 3.09 eV for 4% rGO-TiO2 to 2.55 eV for 30% rGO-TiO2), the rGO-TiO2 composites behave as semiconductor materials. The photocatalytic activity is highest with a rGO content of 7 wt% (7% rGO-TiO2), being higher than observed for pure TiO2 (Eg = 3.20 eV) and achieving 98.6% EtP degradation after only 40 min of treatment. Howeve...
Science of The Total Environment, 2019
Bisphenols are emerging anthropogenic pollutants of the hydro and biosphere. • Bisphenol removal ... more Bisphenols are emerging anthropogenic pollutants of the hydro and biosphere. • Bisphenol removal was addressed by adsorption on activated carbon clothes (ACC). • The adsorption rate of BPA and BPS on ACCs was governed by intraparticle diffusion. • ACC oxidation reduced bisphenol uptake due to the decrease in carbon hydrophobicity. • Adsorption capacity of the ACC was enhanced by the presence of bacteria in solution.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2017
The objective of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of different Advanced Oxidation Proc... more The objective of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of different Advanced Oxidation Processes based on solar and ultraviolet C radiation to remove the antibiotic tinidazole (TNZ) from water. Specifically the systems studied were: UVC, solar radiation, UVC/H 2 O 2 , solar/H 2 O 2 , UVC/K 2 S 2 O 8 , solar/K 2 S 2 O 8 , UVC/photo-Fenton and solar/photo-Fenton. Some aspects of these processes such as the degradation percentage of TNZ, its mineralisation degree, and the degradation products, were analysed. The direct photodegradation of TNZ showed low yields, with a removal percentage lower than 50%. With the UVC/H 2 O 2 system, the percentage of TNZ degraded increased with the H 2 O 2 concentration, but when solar radiation was used, the addition of H 2 O 2 did not favour the process efficiency. The UVC/K 2 S 2 O 8 system was more efficient than UVC/H 2 O 2 for TNZ degradation. The presence of K 2 S 2 O 8 in the solar photodegradation also enhanced TNZ degradation in comparison to the direct photolysis process. In the photo-Fenton systems, both for UVC and solar radiations, high levels of TNZ degradation and mineralisation were obtained. Therefore, the photo-Fenton systems are the most recommended to treat water contaminated with TNZ. Some clues of the mineralisation process appear from the degradation products detected by means of coupled ultra-pressure liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2016
Xerogels based on resorcinol-formaldehyde (XRF) doped with different doses of Tris(2,2'bipyridine... more Xerogels based on resorcinol-formaldehyde (XRF) doped with different doses of Tris(2,2'bipyridine) ruthenium(II) (RuBpy) were synthesized and characterized, and their photoactivity was determined in the presence of solar radiation. The addition of RuBpy did not modify the morphological and textural properties of the xerogels, which were all ultramicroporous, with a mean micropore surface of 240 m 2 g-1 ; micropore volume of 0.10 cm 3 g-1 , and pore diameter of 0.64 nm. The addition of RuBpy reduced the band gap energy (E g) values of the xerogels, which were 5.68 eV for XRF and 0.98 eV for XRF doped with 150 mg L-1 of RuBpy (X150RuB), due to the inclusion of RuBpy as charge center. The photocatalytic activity of the doped xerogels in pollutant degradation by solar radiation was analyzed in the photooxidation of chlortetracycline (CTC) as a model pollutant. The degradation percentages of CTC were 35.23 % for XRF, 36.17 % for X50RuB, 50.16 % for X150RuB, and 31.33 % for direct photolysis. The effect of radical scavengers (NO 3 and tert-butanol) on the degradation and XPS analysis demonstrated that the hydrated electron (e aq-) generated by irradiation in the charge centers of the material migrates through the material and interacts with its functional groups, promoting the generation of OH • radicals and the reduction and subsequent deactivation of the material.
Science of The Total Environment, 2016
• Degradation of plasticizers and herbicides using gamma radiation was studied. • Dose constants,... more • Degradation of plasticizers and herbicides using gamma radiation was studied. • Dose constants, removal percentages, and radiation-chemical yields were determined. • The reaction rate constants of HO • , e aq − , H • with the pollutants were determined. • The elimination of the pollutants mainly followed the oxidative pathway. • The evolution of chemical oxygen demand and toxicity was analyzed.
Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 2015
Activated carbon the contribution of surface diffusion is directly dependent on the adsorption ca... more Activated carbon the contribution of surface diffusion is directly dependent on the adsorption capacity of the carbons because the concentration of TCs adsorbed on the surface is the driving force of surface diffusion. Additionally, the contribution of surface diffusion is affected by the time and radial position.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2016
h i g h l i g h t s Chlortetracycline (CTC) photooxidation follows first-order kinetics. The rate... more h i g h l i g h t s Chlortetracycline (CTC) photooxidation follows first-order kinetics. The rate and percentage of degradation depend on pH and CTC concentration. Metal complexes favor CTC removal by promoting formation of singlet oxygen (1 [O 2 ] ⁄). Redox processes and functional group losses are involved in the degradation pathway. Humic acid plays counteractive roles in photodegradation of CTC. g r a p h i c a l a b s t r a c t Action mechanism of CTC photooxidation sensitized by MOC Ru3B.
Water Research, 2003
A study was undertaken of the regeneration of three activated carbons exhausted with ortho-chloro... more A study was undertaken of the regeneration of three activated carbons exhausted with ortho-chlorophenol. The regeneration process was carried out using liquid water at 623 K and 150 atm in the absence of oxygen. The efficiency of this procedure was analyzed by determining the rate and amount of ortho-chlorophenol adsorbed in successive adsorption-regeneration cycles. The present procedure showed a much greater efficiency than that reported for chemical and/or thermal regeneration. Effects of this regeneration on the adsorption kinetics, adsorption capacity and textural characteristics of the carbon were investigated. The increase in adsorption capacity of the regenerated carbon compared with that of the original carbon seems mainly due to the opening of porosity during the regeneration treatment.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2012
This article describes the most recent methods developed to remove phthalic acid esters (PAEs) fr... more This article describes the most recent methods developed to remove phthalic acid esters (PAEs) from water, wastewater, sludge, and soil. In general, PAEs are considered to be endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), whose effects may not appear until long after exposure. There are numerous methods for removing PAEs from the environment, including physical, chemical and biological treatments, advanced oxidation processes and combinations of these techniques. This review largely focuses on the treatment of PAEs in aqueous solutions but also reports on their treatment in soil and sludge, as well as their effects on human health and the environment.
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Papers by José Rivera-utrilla