Life Cycle Assessment of the Sustainability of Enhancing the Photodegradation Activity of TiO2 with Metal-Doping

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Fernandes, S (Author) Other; Joaquim C G E Esteves da Silva (Author) FCUP; da Silva, LP (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Materials

Vol. 13

Final page: 1487

ISSN: 1996-1944

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 20 Citations

Scopus - 21 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-YW4

DOI: 10.3390/ma13071487

Abstract (EN): While TiO2 nanoparticles have shown potential as photocatalysts in the degradation of organic contaminants, their inability to absorb efficiently visible light has limited their industrial application. One strategy for solving this problem is monodoping TiO2 photocatalysts with transition metals, which has worked in the degradation of several pollutants. However, it is not clear if this improvement is enough to offset the potential environmental impacts of adding metal ions to the synthesis of TiO2. Herein, we have used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to determine the sustainability of monodoping TiO2 with transition metals (Fe, Co, Mn and Ni, with a 1% weight ratio) to enhance the photocatalytic properties of the photocatalyst toward the degradation of Carbamazepine and Methyl Orange, under UV-A and visible light irradiation. We found that the addition of transition-metals has no significant effect on the environmental impacts associated with the synthesis of TiO2, when a weight-based functional unit was considered. However, when photocatalytic activity was considered, major differences were found. Thus, our results demonstrate that the sustainability of monodoping with different transition metals is solely determined by their ability to enhance (or not) the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Our data also demonstrated that isopropyl alcohol constitutes a critical point in the synthesis of TiO2 photocatalysts, with ethanol being a potential substitute.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14