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Review
. 2021 Apr 30;26(9):2640.
doi: 10.3390/molecules26092640.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Based Processes in Photocatalytic Applications

Paola Franco  1 , Olga Sacco  2 , Vincenzo Vaiano  1 , Iolanda De Marco  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Based Processes in Photocatalytic Applications

Paola Franco et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Conventional methods generally used to synthesize heterogeneous photocatalysts have some drawbacks, mainly the difficult control/preservation of catalysts' morphology, size or structure, which strongly affect the photocatalytic activity. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2)-assisted techniques have recently been shown to be a promising approach to overcome these limitations, which are still a challenge. In addition, compared to traditional methods, these innovative techniques permit the synthesis of high-performance photocatalysts by reducing the use of toxic and polluting solvents and, consequently, the environmental impact of long-term catalyst preparation. Specifically, the versatility of scCO2 allows to prepare catalysts with different structures (e.g., nanoparticles or metal-loaded supports) by several supercritical processes for the photocatalytic degradation of various compounds. This is the first updated review on the use of scCO2-assisted techniques for photocatalytic applications. We hope this review provides useful information on different approaches and future perspectives.

Keywords: air pollution; heterogeneous photocatalysis; supercritical antisolvent; supercritical drying; supercritical impregnation; wastewater treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sketch of supercritical deposition stages.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A schematic representation of a generic SAS process. P1, P2: pumps; S1: CO2 supply; S2: liquid solution supply; RB: refrigerating bath; PC: precipitation chamber; LS: liquid separator; MV: micrometric valve; BPV: back-pressure valve; R: rotameter.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FESEM images of SAS nanoparticles of (a) Eu-ZnAc before thermal calcination and (b) Eu-ZnO after calcination step.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A sketch of sol–gel and supercritical drying stages.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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