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Renewable wood sponge with lamellar structure, compressibility and three-dimensional porous frameworks exhibits excellent functionalization application potential in various fields. Herein, cobalt and nitrogen (Co/N) co-doped carbonized wood sponge (CoNCWS800) was prepared successfully for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The CoNCWS800 material exhibited admirable catalytic activity in PMS activation to oxidize SMX molecules (99.7% within 60 min). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis, quenching tests and electrochemical experiments confirmed the existence of both radical (SO 4 ·−,·OH and O 2 ·−) and non-radical (1O 2 and direct charge transfer) pathways during the SMX degradation process. Co species were verified as major contributors for the generation of multiple radicals via activating PMS. Surface defective structure and ketonic C O groups performed the positive linear correlation with reaction kinetic constants, revealing the critical role of the two active sites in PMS activation via non-radical process. This study provides a unique insight in PMS activation mechanism via both radical and non-radical pathways of wood sponge-based functional materials. [Display omitted] • 3D porous wood sponge was utilized to prepare CoNCWS catalyst for PMS activation. • Remarkable sulfamethoxazole degradation was achieved in the CoNCWS800/PMS system. • Defects and ketonic C O site contributed to non-radical pathway in PMS system. • Singlet oxygen and CoNCWS800/PMS complexes were critical active species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Methylfuran (MF), a promising biofuel, produced from non-edible biomass, is desirable as an alternative fuel or fuel additive to internal combustion engines. For a better understanding of the ignition process in engines, the low-temperature oxidation experiments of MF at the temperature range of 600 – 925 K and atmospheric pressure with different equivalence ratios (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0), were performed in a jet-stirred reactor. Synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry was used to identify and measure the intermediates and products in the oxidation process, especially for the isomers (furfural/2-ethylfuran and furan/vinyl ketene), species with identical mass-to-charge ratio (methanol/oxygen and aldehyde/carbon dioxide), and the other oxygenated and hydrocarbon products. The typical negative-temperature-coefficient behavior was not observed in the low-temperature oxidation of MF. The dominant consumption pathways of MF in low-temperature oxidation are the hydroxyl radical/hydrogen atom-addition reactions on the ring and hydrogen atom-abstraction reactions on the side methyl group by hydroxyl radical/hydroperoxyl radical/hydrogen atom, while the contribution of unimolecular decomposition reactions is almost negligible. 2-Furylmethyl radical is a key intermediate in the low-temperature oxidation of MF. Furfural and 2-ethylfuran, as the subsequent products from 2-furylmethyl low-temperature oxidation, were identified as the early-stage products. Besides, the important chemistry of other important species, especially acrolein and methyl vinyl ketone, were also discussed at different equivalence ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The catalytic co-pyrolysis of cellulose and PE over MgO was studied by TG/PI-TOF-MS. • The TG, mass spectra, and the temperature-evolved profiles were obtained. • The interaction of the feedstocks was observed during the catalytic co-pyrolysis. • TG/PI-TOF-MS is a powerful approach to study catalytic co-pyrolysis process. Due to rapid deactivation of catalysts, the effective conversion of biomass with oxygen-rich and hydrogen-deficient characteristics to transportation fuels and high-valued chemicals via catalytic pyrolysis remains a challenge for commercialization. Hydrogen-rich plastic is used as feedstock co-fed with biomass to improve the catalytic pyrolysis process. The present work aims to investigate the co-pyrolysis process of cellulose and polyethylene (PE) over MgO by TG combined with photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PI-TOF-MS), which features on-line detection of catalytic pyrolysis products in real time. The MgO catalyst could improve the pyrolysis of cellulose and enhance the C C bond breaking of PE, respectively. During catalytic co-pyrolysis, the yields from olefins and furan as well as its derivatives can be enhanced obviously. Further, the formation of additional aromatics can be observed due to the Diels-Alder reaction. This work shows TG coupled to PI-TOF-MS is a powerful setup to study and optimize catalytic co-pyrolysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HCHO is the most concerned indoor air pollutant that photocatalytic degradation is a feasible approach. To achieve efficient and complete degradation of HCHO under visible light irradiation, heteroatoms are usually doped in TiO 2. But using natural materials as a dopant instead of expensive and toxic chemicals to fertilize TiO 2 remains challenging. This paper proposes a sustainable and green approach to synthesize an efficient N, Ca co-doped TiO 2 photocatalyst (TIMP) by using the insoluble matrix proteins (IMPs) extracted from abalone shell. TIMP-0.8 achieves near completely degradation HCHO within 45 min under visible light at ambient temperature and exhibits superior stability after 7 cycles. TIMP-0.8 has monodispersity with smaller diameter, high porosity, abundant defects and high adsorption affinity for surface hydroxyls compared with pure TiO 2. With the assistance of IMPs, the rate-determining step of HCHO degradation changes from −COOH oxidation to spontaneous decomposition of HCO 3 −, significantly facilitating the elimination and mineralization of HCHO. Overall, IMPs from abalone shell are natural surfactant, bio-templet, and dopant for TiO 2 modification, contributing to desirable visible-light photocatalytic performance for HCHO degradation. This paper provides new insight for high-value utilization of waste shell and photocatalytic indoor purification. [Display omitted] • The IMPs extracted from abalone shell acted as natural surfactant, bio-templet, and dopant. • TIMP-0.8 had abundant Ov and high adsorption affinity for surface hydroxyls. • Decomposition of HCO 3 − instead of −COOH oxidation became the rate-determining step. • Reaction pathway was proposed for TIMP-0.8 of HCHO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Furfural pyrolysis was studied using SVUV-PIMS in a flow reactor at 30 and 760 Torr. • A detailed kinetic model including 585 species and 3018 reactions was developed. • Nineteen pyrolysis products were identified and measured, especially free radicals. • Unimolecular non-radical decomposition channels dominated the furfural pyrolysis. • Pyrolysis characteristics of different typical furanic derivatives was compared. Furfural (2-furaldehyde) is a promising platform chemical for lignocellulosic biofuels, but its thermal decomposition channels are not well understood. To better understand furfural thermal decomposition kinetics, flow tube reactor pyrolysis combined with synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry at low and atmospheric pressures and temperatures from 929 to 1365 K was investigated. Carbon monoxide, methane, acetylene, propyne, allene, furan, and vinylketene as the main products were detected and measured. A detailed kinetic model for furfural pyrolysis consisting of 585 species and 3018 reactions was built based on the potential energy surface, and validated against the experimental data from the current and previous studies. Rate of production analysis shows that furfural mainly underwent unimolecular non-radical decomposition channel to form vinylketene and carbon monoxide. Sequential decomposition of vinylketene led to the production of allene, propyne and carbon monoxide, etc. H-atom addition reactions on the furan ring was the main source of furan. HCO, CH 3 and COOCH 3 groups influence the decomposition pathways of furanic fuels, and accelerate their decomposition with decomposition temperatures in the sequence of methyl 2-furoate < furfural < 2,5-dimethylfuran < 2-methylfuran < furan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pyrolysis pathways of microalgae were described based on different algae. • Pyrolysis of individual algae constituents and interactions between them were studied. • Lipids and carbohydrate have different effects on pyrolysis of protein. • Suggestions for industrial applications of algae pyrolysis were proposed. Pyrolysis of three algae, i.e. Nannochloropsis, Spirulina, and Sargassum was investigated by the combination of fixed bed pyrolysis with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and pyrolysis photoionization mass spectrometry (py-PIMS) methods. Lipid, protein, and carbohydrate are the dominant components of the three algae, respectively. Mass spectrum profiles at different temperatures (400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C), temperature-programmed and time-evolved profiles of major products were measured. The decomposition reaction of fatty acids led to the formation of alkanes and alkenes. Aromatic compounds came from the nitrogen-containing compounds derived from protein and dehydrogenation of cyclic alkanes and alkenes through the Diels–Alder reaction from unsaturated fatty acids. Polycyclic nitrogenous compounds can be generated by the ring condensation reactions of monocyclic N-heterocyclic compounds. Lipids may interfere with the decomposition of protein. The presence of carbohydrates facilitates the formation of N-heterocyclic compounds. Two formation pathways of 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-α- d -glucopyranose and 2,4-dimethylfuran from hemicellulose and cellulose at different temperatures were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-combustion of sewage sludge (SS) and biomass is promising for achieving energy recovery and compensating for individual feedstock disadvantages. However, the emission of nitric oxide (NOx) during this process is of concern, but no relevant study has focused on this. In this study, the release characteristics of NOx during co-combustion of SS and corn straw (CS) were investigated under different mixing ratios, heating rates, and SS moisture contents. The synergetic effect of SS and CS on NOx reduction was determined and quantified. An independently designed one-dimensional unsteady model with a fully implicit scheme was used. The results showed that with the increase in the SS mixing ratio to 20, 40, 60, and 80 wt%, the NOx emission peak values were reduced by 26%, 38%, 35%, and 40%, respectively. The case with a 60 wt% water content of SS was the best choice for NOx reduction. Furthermore, the model could describe the NOx emission trend accurately, especially for CS combustion and SS/CS co-combustion. This study showed effective NOx reduction during SS/CS co-combustion, thereby indicating that co-combustion is beneficial for the disposal of SS. In the future, the mechanism of the synergetic effect of SS and CS will be investigated from a micro point of view by more comprehensive experiments coupled with process parameter simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The duckweed for wastewater treatment was converted to bio-oil by HTL. • The highest bio-oil yield (35.6 wt%) and HHV (40.85 MJ/kg) were obtained at 370 °C. • The products of each phase had potential utilization value. Wastewater treatment by duckweed is a naturally sustainable technology. However, its development is limited due to the lack of a follow-up treatment of duckweed. The duckweed was proposed for the treatment of rural domestic wastewater and agricultural wastewater, and it was further processed to produce bio-oil via hydrothermal liquefaction at various temperatures (250 °C–370 °C) and residence times (15–60 min). The highest bio-oil yield of 35.6 wt% was obtained at 370 °C, 45 min. The higher heating value of bio-oil was 40.85 MJ/kg, and the H/C ratio (1.72–1.98) was similar to that of petroleum (1.84). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis results revealed that the bio-oil mainly consisted of N-heterocycles, cyclic ketones, esters, amides, long-chain hydrocarbons, phenols, and aromatic intermediates. Valuable compounds (3-pyridinol, 2-pyrrolidinone, and its analogues) of high concentration were identified in the water-soluble organic matter. Compared with other materials, this study produced higher-quality bio-oil and water-soluble organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature-programmed and time-evolved profiles of products were measured by PIMS. • The yields of alkenes and aromatics increased in the presence of HZSM-5. • The maximum deoxygenation occurred in palm shell/HZSM-5 ratio = 1:2 at 500 °C. • A predicted formation pathway of major products from palm shell pyrolysis was proposed. The catalytic pyrolysis characteristics of palm shell were investigated using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) and pyrolysis photoionization mass spectrometry (py-PIMS) methods. Temperature-programmed results and time-evolved profiles of major products, such as alkenes, aromatics, furans, and phenols were measured. Temperature and catalysts can effectively influence the pyrolysis products distribution. Two peaks of temperature-programmed results of furfural indicated that hemicellulose and cellulose depolymerized at different temperatures. Two decomposition pathways of lignin were proposed: the ether linkages between monomer units of lignin and the methoxy groups on the aromatic rings would break at different temperatures. With the presence of HZSM-5, the yields of alkenes and aromatics increased and that of oxygenates reduced because primary oxygenates from pyrolysis underwent catalytic deoxygenation and cracking to form light alkenes, which subsequently react with furans or other large alkenes to produce aromatic hydrocarbons. The catalytic effect was intensified as the HZSM-5-to-palm shell mixing ratio was increased. Deoxygenation index shows the maximum deoxygenation occurred in palm shell/HZSM-5 ratio = 1:2 at 500 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The pyrolysis behavior of cattle manure was analyzed by PIMS and GCMS. • Products mainly contained ketones, phenols and N-heterocyclic compounds. • Maillard reaction had great effect on the pyrolysis process of cattle manure. • A predicted generation pathway of major products was proposed. Cattle manure is a kind of abundant agriculture waste but potential renewable resource to be converted into fuel by pyrolysis. The pyrolysis behavior of cattle manure was analyzed by three methods in this work: thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and pyrolysis photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Py–PI–TOFMS). The pyrolysis process of cattle manure included four stages, dehydration stage, lignocellulose decomposition stage, lignin and protein decomposition stage, char and mineral matter decomposition stage. The products were mainly classified into six groups: ketones, aldehydes, phenolic compounds, acids, hydrocarbons and N-containing compounds. Based on the time-evolved profiles and temperature-programmed profiles, the characteristics of these major products were analyzed and discussed. Maillard reaction has great effects on the pyrolysis process of cattle manure because cellulose can easily react with protein to produce abundant Amadori products and then generate cyclopentanes and furanmethanol. In addition, some Amadori products and amino acids can also be cyclized to generate N-heterocycle compounds like pyrroles and pyrazines. The decomposition of lignin basic units with more methoxy groups require higher reaction temperature, and the removal of hydroxy and methoxy group on phenols mainly occurred at around 350 °C. Furthermore, primary decomposition pathways of cattle manure were also proposed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a sustainable and facile approach for the synthesis of photocatalysts in which shell waste is used as support material. The synthesized photocatalysts exhibited a significant performance in the mineralization of organic substances under solar irradiation or artificial lighting. Calcined abalone shell with a TiO 2 loading of 23.4% led to a significant improvement in optical absorption: the degradation efficiencies of methylene blue (MB) after 140 min under UV light, vis light, UV–vis light, and natural sunlight were 93%, 96%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Notably, the byproducts obtained after the degradation by commercial P25 TiO 2 disappeared with the utilization of shell waste as support material. The Na, Sr, S present in the calcined abalone shell were doped into the substitutional sites of TiO 2 and were indispensable to achieve the desired band-gap narrowing and photocatalytic performance; moreover, the Ti and Zn oxides in the calcined abalone shell acted as semiconductors and improved the charge separation efficiency of TiO 2. Above all, this paper describes a green synthesis based on the use of waste seashell. This material acts as an excellent photocatalyst support for environmental pollution treatments, leading to the 'control of waste by waste' and opening up new possibilities for shell waste reutilization and sustainable chemistry. Image 1 • A facile approach was proposed to use shell waste for photocatalyst synthesis. • Calcined abalone shell supported TiO 2 exhibited highest photocatalytic performance. • 100% degradation efficiency was attained under natural sunlight. • No obvious byproducts were observed with abalone shell as support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstream biomass precombustion processes include anaerobic digestion (AD), gasification (GS), fast pyrolysis (FP), and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Precombustion processes determine the forms of biomass-derived fuels, the energy production per mass of biomass and the creation of pollutants; consequently, it is important to determine the impacts of precombustion processes on these metrics. Current environmental evaluation methods have limitations when comparing various technologies. Accordingly, we proposed an index for the environmental impact of biomass preprocessing (EIBP), which includes carbon footprint reduction, pollutant impacts from byproducts and pollutant impacts from residuals. A higher EIBP value implies a worse environmental impact. We evaluated the EIBPs for a variety of processes and feedstocks. Technical levels of these processes were quantified by carbon conversion, which is equal to the sum of the carbon mass in the target products and byproducts divided by the total carbon mass in the feedstock. By adjusting the carbon conversion, we inferred the environmental potentials of these processes. We found that AD had the lowest EIBP and EIBP lower bound, the latter of which refers to the theoretically lowest EIBP under idealized conditions. This result implies that AD is likely to maintain its environmental impact advantage for a decade. Although the newly developed HTL technology had the highest EIBP for almost all feedstocks, it had an extremely high environmental impact improvement potential. The correlation analysis between the energy conversion efficiency and the EIBP showed that they do not necessarily have strong correlations, suggesting that environmental impact should be considered separately when optimizing biomass precombustion processes. • An environmental evaluation method of biomass precombustion processes is proposed. • The method solves drawbacks of life cycle assessment method for comparative study. • The method reveals environmental impact upper bound of these processes. • Anaerobic digestion shows better environmental impact and enhancement potential. • Energy and environment performances show weak correlation for these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-incineration is promising for disposal of sewage sludge (SS) and municipal solid waste (MSW) with energy recovery, although mercury (Hg) emission in this process is non-negligible. In this work, a series of experimental and simulation works was conducted to provide knowledge about the distribution, ecological toxicity, and transformation of Hg during co-incineration of SS and MSW. The experimental results show that co-incineration can increase the Hg content in incineration ash and reduce the amount of Hg released into the atmosphere. The optimal blending ratio for Hg enrichment was 54 wt% SS and 46 wt% MSW. A modified three-step sequential extraction method was used to investigate the chemical species of Hg in incineration ash. It was found that when SS accounted for 50 wt% ∼75 wt% of the feedstock, the direct toxicity risk of Hg in incineration ash was reduced because of the presence of less hazardous chemical forms of Hg. Thermodynamic equilibrium simulation was also conducted on incineration flue gas. The results show that co-incineration caused more gaseous Hg0 to be oxidized to Hg2+ during the cooling process, leading to less environmental risk to the atmosphere. It is hoped that this work can help develop better co-incineration strategies and guide downstream Hg control technology, to dispose of and recover energy from SS and MSW with a cleaner approach. Image 1 • Behaviour of Hg during co-incineration of sewage sludge and municipal solid waste. • Co-incineration makes more Hg in ash and less in atmosphere. • Co-incineration reduces direct ecological toxicity risk of Hg in ash. • Co-incineration rises potential ecological toxicity risk of Hg in ash. • Cl concentration affects Hg0 oxidization during flue gas cooling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-lipid content algae have demonstrated potential in the bio-crude production because of their high yield and robust ability to adapt to hostile cultivation environment in mass cultivation. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) technology is an effective method to convert wet algae to bio-crudes directly. In this study, the HTL processes of two low-lipid content algae, Nannochloropsis sp. and Sargassum sp., were investigated under various reaction temperatures (260–320 °C). Results showed that the bio-crudes yield of Nannochloropsis sp. (39.05 wt% to 54.11 wt%) was significantly higher than that of Sargassum sp. (3.11 wt% to 9.49 wt%). The higher heating value of Nannochloropsis sp. (35.92 MJ/kg to 37.88 MJ/kg) were also slightly higher than that of Sargassum sp., (33.63 MJ/kg to 35.23 MJ/kg). GC–MS analyses showed that Nannochloropsis sp. bio-crude mainly contained amides and N-heterocyclic compounds while Sargassum sp. bio-crude mainly contained N-heterocyclic compounds and ketones. Alcohols were the major aqueous phase compounds for both algae. For Nannochloropsis sp., glycerin accounted for the largest proportion in alcohols, while dianhydromannitol and 1,5-anhydro- d -mannitol were the major alcohols component for Sargassum sp. Based on the compositions of the HTL products and the feedstock, a reaction pathway network of the HTL process of low-lipid algae was proposed in this study. Amino acids related interactions like acylation and Maillard reaction were prominent in HTL process of these two algae, which effectively converted protein and carbohydrate compounds into bio-crudes. Unlabelled Image • Products feature of two low-lipid algae in hydrothermal liquefaction were studied. • Bio-crudes yield of Nannochloropsis sp. was much higher than that of Sargassum sp. • Bio-crudes mainly contained N-heterocyclic compounds, amides and ketones. • Alcohols were the major aqueous phase component for algae. • Acylation and Maillard reaction were prominent in HTL for low-lipid algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new method is proposed to characterize chemical features of biomass and waste. • The method is based on infrared spectroscopy and machine learning models. • The method is fast and the optimal accuracy could reach as high as 95.54%. • The robustness of this method is validated, and its properties are discussed. • The method can enhance sorting of biomass and waste for downstream utilization. Heterogeneity is a most serious obstacle for treatment and utilization of biomass and waste (BW). This paper proposed a fast characterization method based on infrared spectroscopy and machine learning models, thus to roughly predict the elemental composition and heating value of BW. The fast characterization results could be used to sort different BW components by their suitable downstream utilization techniques. The infrared spectra based hybrid model contained a feature compression section to extract core information from raw infrared spectra, a classification section to distinguish inorganic dilution, and a regression section to generate the elemental composition and heating value results. By parameters optimization, the accuracy of this hybrid model reached 95.54%, 85.53%, 92.40%, and 92.49% for C content, H content, O content, and low heating value prediction, respectively. The robustness analysis was conducted by completely rearranging the training and test sets, and it further validated the hypothesis that the infrared spectra contains enough qualifying and quantifying information to characterize these properties of BW. Compared with previous literature, the C–H, C–O, and O–H correlations in BW were also well kept in the predicted results. This work is hoped to enhance upstream sorting system design for treatment and utilization of BW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific surface area, pore size, and pore volume are essential biochar properties. Optimization typically reduces yield by focusing on per gram of biochar. This work introduces new indicators and an integrated model to balance quality and quantity, emphasizing overall adsorption potential per gram of raw biomass. The integrated model outperformed nine machine learning models with 91.93% accuracy, RMSE of 0.73, and R 2 of 0.965. SHAP analysis identified temperature, volatile matter and ash content as the most influential factors. PDP analysis provided insights into their interactions, while PSO determined the optimal conditions for maximizing adsorption efficiency. Among three indicators, temperature emerged as the common key parameter, with optimal averages identified at 720℃. Furthermore, A user-friendly interface was developed for visualizing training and prediction, enhancing model applicability. This work achieves a quality-quantity balanced biochar design with interpretable mechanisms, advancing adsorption optimization and practical implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Semipermeable membrane-covered composting is one of the most commonly used composting technologies in northeast China, but its humification process is not yet well understood. This study employed a semipermeable membrane-covered composting system to detect the organic matter humification and bacterial community evolution patterns over the course of agricultural waste composting. Variations in physicochemical properties, humus composition, and bacterial communities were studied. The results suggested that membrane covering improved humic acid (HA) content and degree of polymerization (DP) by 9.28% and 21.57%, respectively. Bacterial analysis indicated that membrane covering reduced bacterial richness and increased bacterial diversity. Membrane covering mainly affected the bacterial community structure during thermophilic period of composting. RDA analysis revealed that membrane covering may affect the bacterial community by altering the physicochemical properties such as moisture content. Correlation analysis showed that membrane covering activated the dominant genera Saccharomonospora and Planktosalinus to participate in the formation of HS and HA in composting, thus promoting HS formation and its structural complexity. Membrane covering significantly reduced microbial metabolism during the cooling phase of composting., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Recently, Fenton-like systems have been widely explored and applied for the removal of organic matter from wastewater. Two-dimensional (2D) MXene-based materials exhibit excellent adsorption and catalysis capacity for organic pollutants removal, which has been reported widely. However, there is no summary on the application of MXene-based materials in Fenton-like systems for organic matter removal. In this review, four types of MXene-based materials were introduced, including 2D MXene, MXene/Metal complex, MXene/Metal oxide complex, and MXene/3D carbon material complex. In addition, the Fenton-like system usually consists of adsorption and degradation processes. The oxidation process might contain hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) or persulfate (PS) oxidants. This review summarizes the performance and mechanisms of organic pollutants adsorption and oxidants activation by MXene-based materials systematically. Finally, the existing problems and future research directions of MXene-based materials are proposed in Fenton-like wastewater treatment systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The directional regulation of oxidation capacity in the carbon-based peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system is a promising strategy for wastewater purification. In this work, a novel iron cobalt and nitrogen co-doped carbonized wood sponge (FeCoNCWS) was developed. A superb catalytic performance for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation (∼100.0%) was obtained within 30 min in FeCoNCWS800/PMS system at 60 °C. Besides, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribution was verified at different reaction temperatures. Specifically, the primary roles of sulfate and hydroxyl radicals (SO 4 - and OH) in SMX removal weakened, while the secondary role of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) in SMX degradation was enhanced with the rise of reaction temperature in FeCoNCWS800/PMS system. Interestingly, defects, graphitic N and carbonyl (CO) groups were vital active sites for PMS activation to produce 1 O 2 , which was facilitated at higher reaction temperature. Besides, the metal sites were identified as PMS activators for SO 4 - and OH generation, which was promoted under lower reaction temperature. The findings revealed a novel internal temperature-dependent PMS activation mechanism, which can help to regulate the oxidation capacity of PMS activation system rationally for pollutant degradation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated catalytic reforming, which is a thermochemical process, as a pioneering method to treat biogas slurry (wastewater from biogas plants) and generate hydrogen. Experimental validation for treating biogas slurries from digested cattle manure, fish intestine, and wheat straw was performed on Ni/α-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The results showed that the total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and PO 4 3- ion contents in biogas slurry could be reduced by 98.69, 98.01, and 99.32%, respectively. The highest hydrogen yield was obtained in the treatment of biogas slurry from digested cattle manure at 750 °C, in which the hydrogen yield and hydrogen concentration were 13.85 L hydrogen / L BS and 79.77 vol %, respectively. Changes in the crystalline phase and structure of the catalyst were observed during catalytic reforming of biogas slurry. Active metal oxidization and carbon deposition were likely to be important factors affecting catalytic stability. The mass flow evaluation verified the hydrogen generation potential by the catalytic reforming of biogas slurry, which was close to the methane generation capability of the upstream biogas plant. However, additional effort is required to address the high energy consumption of this method. These findings provide fundamental knowledge about the potential of applying thermochemical techniques to treat and utilize high total organic carbon-containing wastewaters.

The thermal decomposition of furfural is investigated in a flow tube reactor at 30 Torr by synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS) at temperatures from 1023 to 1273 K. Over 20 kinds of pyrolysis products, including short-lived radicals, stable oxygen-containing compounds, and hydrocarbons, are identified from the scanning photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectra. Vinylketene (CH 2 ═CH-CH═C═O), which has been shown to be an important primary product, is also directly observed. The possible steps of hydrogen atom addition and hydrogen atom abstraction in the thermal decomposition of furfural are studied by theoretical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level. In addition to unimolecular decomposition, hydrogen atom addition followed by ring opening can lead to the production of vinylketene.