ANR - Development of near-infrared mediated photocatalytic nanocomposites for the treatment of turbid wastewater

多环芳烃（PAHs）由几个熔融苯环组成，是碳氢化合物不完全燃烧的产物，也是加拿大广泛使用的水力压裂返排技术的产物。多环芳烃污染的废水引起了人们的关注，因为一些研究已经证明了它们对人类和野生动物的毒性和/或致癌性。然而，加拿大石油产量的预期增长是以受污染的水的同样增长为前提的。这表明迫切需要注意有效处理废水中的多环芳烃，因为这些污染物对水生生态系统的潜在公共卫生影响正在成为一个需要解决的严重问题。由于紫外光的穿透深度有限，传统的紫外光基光催化在这些浑浊废水介质中被证明是无效的。因此，迫切需要发展更有效、成本效益更高的技术来降解多环芳烃等污染物。在这种情况下，近红外（NIR）活化光催化过程被认为是光催化介导处理浑浊废水的一种更通用的方法。拟议的项目涉及加拿大团队（INRS-EMT - F. Vetrone）和法国团队(皮埃尔和玛丽居里大学，表面反应性实验室- G. Costentin， J. Blanchard和S. Boujday（新加坡南大联合附属，T. Steele实验室）/巴黎南大的合作努力。物理化学实验室- C. colbeaub - justin)，旨在合成新的和创新的光催化纳米复合材料，将镧系上转化纳米颗粒（UCNPs）与ZnO光催化剂结合起来。在这里，UCNPs在近红外激发下的紫外发射将触发ZnO的光催化活性，从而导致污染物的分解。这种新颖和创新的方法将优于目前的方法，因为nir介导的原位紫外线产生将克服紫外线的有限穿透。我们期望这将导致一个更有效和更具成本效益的废水处理系统，并将在水行业产生重大影响。

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) consisting of several fused benzene rings are found as products of the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons as well as in the flowback from hydraulic fracturing, a technique widely used in Canada. Concerns have risen about PAH-contaminated wastewaters as several studies have proven their toxicity and/or carcinogenicity to humans and wildlife. Yet, the expected increase in oil production in Canada assumes an equal increase in contaminated water. This reveals the urgent attention needed for the effective treatment of PAHs in wastewaters as the potential public health impact of these contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem is becoming a serious concern that needs to be addressed. Conventional ultraviolet (UV) light based photocatalysis has proved to be ineffectual in these turbid wastewater media due to limited penetration depth of UV light. As a consequence, there is a significant demand for the development of more efficient, cost-effective technologies to degrade pollutants such as PAHs. In this context, near-infrared (NIR) activation of the photocatalytic process is suggested as a more versatile method of photocatalysis mediated treatment of turbid wastewaters. The proposed project involves the collaborative effort between a Canadian team (INRS-EMT - F. Vetrone) and a French team (Université Pierre & Marie Curie, Laboratory of Surface Reactivity - G. Costentin, J. Blanchard, and S. Boujday (co-affiliated to NTU, Singapore, laboratory of T. Steele) / Université Paris Sud, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry - C. Colbeau-Justin) aiming for the synthesis of new and innovative photocatalytic nanocomposites combining lanthanide-based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) with a ZnO photocatalyst. Herein, the UV emission upon NIR excitation of the UCNPs will trigger the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO resulting in pollutant breakdown. This novel and innovative approach will be superior to current methodologies, as the limited penetration of UV light will be overcome by NIR-mediated in-situ UV generation. We expect that it will lead to a more efficient and cost-effective system for wastewater treatment and will create significant impact in the water industry.