Photocatalytic hydrogen production from urine using sr-doped tio2 photocatalyst with subsequent phosphorus recovery via struvite crystallization

Journal article

Authors/Editors

Strategic Research Themes

Sustainable Energy & Environment (Strategic Research Themes)

Publication Details

Author list: Sittipunsakda O., Kemacheevakul P., Laosiripojana N., Chuangchote S.

Publisher: MDPI

Publication year: 2021

Volume number: 11

Issue number: 8

ISSN: 20734344

eISSN: 2073-4344

URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85113269883&doi=10.3390%2fcatal11081012&partnerID=40&md5=054d7fee7c916458a74e0f75b09335cf

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Currently, the discharge of wastewater and utilization of phosphorus (P) in human activi-ties cause some environmental problems, such as high organic pollutants in aquatic environments which results in dirty water sources, and a shortage of phosphate rock reserves due to the high demand of P. Therefore, fuel energy and struvite crystallization from waste sources can be consid-ered interesting alternatives. In this work, the modified catalyst for hydrogen production, along with solving environmental problems, was examined. The strontium (Sr) doped-titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by wetness impregnation method. The synthesized catalyst was characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The Sr-doped TiO2 catalysts had been utilized as the photocatalyst for the hydrogen production from synthetic human urine (a representative of waste source). The doping content of Sr in TiO2 varied from 0.5, 1, 2, and 4%, and the photocatalytic performances were com-pared with pristine TiO2 nanoparticles. The results showed that 1% Sr-doped TiO2 had the highest photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production and decreased the amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the synthetic human urine. Subsequently, P could be recovered from the treated human urine in the form of struvite. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

Hydrogen energy, Struvite crystallization