Triboelectrification Catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water Environment

Abstract

With the rapid development of industrialization, more and more organic pollutants are entering the water environment, rendering the treatment of organic pollutants a key issue in protecting it. Therefore, finding a convenient and effective method for degrading organic pollutants in water is of great importance. Triboelectrification is known as the process of charge transfer during the friction process. It is always accompanied by the energy level transition of electrons or holes, making it a potential method for catalytic degradation, which we refer to as triboelectrification catalysis. In this study, a set of experimental equipment was developed. The device is composed of a mechanical system, a control system, and a measurement system that can realize the quantitative measurement of the triboelectrification catalysis under different friction pairs, different loads, and different contact frequencies. Using the developed device, we observed stable triboelectrification catalytic degradation. This study performed triboelectrification catalytic experiments on various organic compounds including methyl orange, rhodamine, and tetracycline. The results revealed that these three organic compounds were degraded by 39%, 15%, and 20%, respectively, within three hours of being under the influence of triboelectrification catalysis. Subsequently, this study conducted triboelectrification catalytic experiments using materials with different triboelectric capacities. This study found that the triboelectric capacity significantly impacted the triboelectrification catalytic degradation rate, providing further evidence for the mechanism of triboelectrification catalysis. Additionally, this study found that SiO2 and Al2O3, which also utilize electrons as the primary carrier for triboelectrification, are capable of catalyzing the degradation of a methyl orange solution. Therefore, this study suggests that the triboelectrification catalysis is a versatile and widely applicable method for treating organic pollutants in water. With a broad range of catalyst sources and the ability to effectively degrade various organic pollutants, it shows promise as a solution for the problem of water pollution.