Microplastic pollution in Himalayan lakes: assessment, risks, and sustainable remediation strategies

• Sameeksha Rawat,
• S. M. Tauseef and
• Madhuben Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2144–2167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.148

• , MPs have a large surface-area-to-volume ratio that enables them to adsorb persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals, such as Cd, Pb, and Hg from bodies of water [5][117]. Third, photodegradation and oxidative weathering of MPs upon UV light and temperature

Photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin in water assisted by TiO₂ nanowires on carbon cloth: contributions of H₂O₂ addition and substrate absorbability

• Iram Hussain,
• Lisha Zhang,
• Zhizhen Ye and
• Jin-Ming Wu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1567–1579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.111

• concentration were studied. The higher production of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) in the degradation of organic pollutants enhances the degradation efficiency of OFL. The TiO2 nanowires exhibited significant photodegradation of OFL in water with a high initial concentration range of 50–200 ppm, which is much higher

• performed at room temperature. A TOC-L CPH analyzer (SHIMADZU, Japan) was used to detect total organic carbon (TOC). Photocatalytic activity for OFL removal The photocatalytic activity was evaluated through the photodegradation of 50 mL aqueous solutions of OFL at initial concentrations of 50, 75, 100, and

• photodegradation ratio of OFL was determined using Equation 2: where, cads represents the concentration of OFL after the dark adsorption (ppm), while ct denotes the concentration of OFL at time t during the photodegradation (ppm). The reaction rate constant (k) of the OFL degradation was assessed using the pseudo

Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Pooja Raveendran Nair,
• Jithin Kundalam Kadavath,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• M. R. Anantharaman and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1428–1498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.104

Functional bio-packaging enhanced with nanocellulose from rice straw and cinnamon essential oil Pickering emulsion for fruit preservation

• Tuyen B. Ly,
• Duong D. T. Nguyen,
• Hieu D. Nguyen,
• Yen T. H. Nguyen,
• Bup T. A. Bui,
• Kien A. Le and
• Phung K. Le

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1234–1245, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.91

• UV rays while partially limiting visible light transmission (Figure 4d). This makes rCBP ideal for preserving light-sensitive products such as fruits and vegetables, protecting them from photodegradation and extending their shelf life [24]. This effect can be attributed to the presence of

A calix[4]arene-based supramolecular nanoassembly targeting cancer cells and triggering the release of nitric oxide with green light

• Cristina Parisi,
• Loredana Ferreri,
• Tassia J. Martins,
• Francesca Laneri,
• Samantha Sollima,
• Antonina Azzolina,
• Antonella Cusimano,
• Nicola D’Antona,
• Grazia M. L. Consoli and
• Salvatore Sortino

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1003–1013, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.75

• poorly active unconventional photoactivatable drug molecules [12][13][14] as well as efficient cages to inhibit undesired photodegradation of photosensitive conventional drugs [15]. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the most extensively studied molecules in the fascinating realm of biomedical sciences. This

Efficiency of single-pulse laser fragmentation of organic nutraceutical dispersions in a circular jet flow-through reactor

• Tina Friedenauer,
• Maximilian Spellauge,
• Alexander Sommereyns,
• Verena Labenski,
• Tuba Esatbeyoglu,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Heinz P. Huber and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 711–727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.55

• that curcumin is not only susceptible to photodegradation but is also a known radical scavenger [61][62]. These two opposing mechanisms, which most likely have a different concentration dependency, may also be responsible for the higher chemical degradation at low concentrations. It has been reported

• that curcumin mostly functions as a radical scavenger at higher concentrations [63]. Further studies also report the photodegradation kinetics of phenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties to be inversely dependent on concentration [64]. For CBD with the same mass concentration of 0.1 wt % of

Emerging strategies in the sustainable removal of antibiotics using semiconductor-based photocatalysts

• Yunus Ahmed,
• Keya Rani Dutta,
• Parul Akhtar,
• Md. Arif Hossen,
• Md. Jahangir Alam,
• Obaid A. Alharbi,
• Hamad AlMohamadi and
• Abdul Wahab Mohammad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 264–285, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.21

• studies and sustainable technologies, this study presents new insights into the complex relationship between contaminants and catalytic degradation processes. Compared to single and binary photocatalysts, modified ternary composites were found to have superior photodegradation performance under visible

• − + h+ → HO• + H+) [35][57]. After excitation, H+ possesses the capacity to interact with electrons, generating thermal energy (H+ + e− → energy). This process results in a reduction of the photodegradation efficiency. Notably, the typical redox potential of photocatalysts must exceed that of HO•/OH

• . Heterojunctions can be classified in type-I heterojunctions (Figure 5a), type-II heterojunctions (Figure 5b), p–n junctions (Figure 5c), Schottky junctions (Figure 5d), and Z-scheme heterojunctions (Figure 5e,f), which have all been extensively studied regarding antibiotic photodegradation [67][68]. When a

Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• experiment. The efficiency of MB photodegradation (X%) was determined by Equation 2: where M0 and Mf are the concentrations of MB at the beginning and at the end of the photocatalytic test, respectively. Dispersion of the pigments clay/Nb and clay/Nb/MB in colorless commercial paint The samples A-BEPh, A

Characterization of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GP258

• Prashantkumar Siddappa Chakra,
• Aishwarya Banakar,
• Shriram Narayan Puranik,
• Vishwas Kaveeshwar,
• C. R. Ravikumar and
• Devaraja Gayathri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 78–89, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.8

• photocatalyst and 20 ppm of MB dye was exposed to UV light in order to initiate photodegradation. Measurements were taken at 15 min intervals to track the reduction in MB dye concentration. UV–visible spectrophotometry was used to measure the absorbance at 663 nm. Under UV irradiation, the photodegradation of

Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods and their photocatalytic properties

• Cristina Maria Vlăduț,
• Crina Anastasescu,
• Silviu Preda,
• Oana Catalina Mocioiu,
• Simona Petrescu,
• Jeanina Pandele-Cusu,
• Dana Culita,
• Veronica Bratan,
• Ioan Balint and
• Maria Zaharescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.104

• and biological sensing [38][39][40]. The optical, thermal, and photocatalytic [40] reactivity of ZnO can also be improved with this method without changing its basic hexagonal structure. Consequently, the photodegradation of aqueous organic compounds triggered by manganese-doped ZnO still provides

• proven to be efficient compounds for the photodegradation of organic pollutants from water, but this approach becomes really valuable when a green energy source (solar light) is used. Furthermore, photomineralization of aqueous pollutants is fully desirable because no harmful intermediates remain. In

• usually involved in the photodegradation of organic compounds in aqueous media as previously reported [54]. The generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) by SG and MW catalysts under simulated solar light irradiation (AM1.5) was determined from the PL emission at 451 nm assigned to the presence of a

Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• are evaluated for photodegradation (PD) of methylene blue under solar simulator irradiation. Our findings revealed that WS2 exhibited the highest PD efficiency of 67.6% and achieved an impressive PD rate constant of 6.1 × 10−3 min−1. Conversely, MoS2 displayed a somewhat lower PD performance of 43.5

• several cycles. This finding underscores the advantageous outcomes of intermixing WS2 and MoS2, shedding light on the development of an efficient and enduring photocatalyst for visible-light-driven photodegradation of methylene blue. Keywords: methylene blue; MoS2/WS2 composite; photocatalysis

• ; photodegradation; transition-metal dichalcogenides; Introduction Water contamination has become a pressing global concern, threatening ecosystems, agriculture, and human well-being [1][2]. The massive industrialization has dramatically contributed to water pollution, which has prompted policymakers to put in

Green synthesis of biomass-derived carbon quantum dots for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

• Dalia Chávez-García,
• Mario Guzman,
• Viridiana Sanchez and
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 755–766, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.63

• a continuous emission xenon light source (190–900 nm). All the samples were dispersed in deionized water and analyzed with an excitation wavelength of 350 and 900 nm in aqueous medium. Photocatalytic evaluation The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized CQDs was studied for the photodegradation

• of the photodegradation reaction under light radiation. In the case of tests conducted with incandescent light, a lamp was used as the light source, placed approximately 10 cm away from the solution, and the reaction was allowed to proceed for 100 min. During the degradation tests, both sunlight and

• t (Figure 8). The concentration of MB was estimated based on the absorbance of the peak centered at 664 nm, using the Lambert–Beer law. As expected, the synthesized CQDs were catalytically active for the photodegradation of MB. All samples displayed a linear behavior and exhibited R2 values around

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles/graphene quantum dots

• Vo Chau Ngoc Anh,
• Le Thi Thanh Nhi,
• Le Thi Kim Dung,
• Dang Thi Ngoc Hoa,
• Nguyen Truong Son,
• Nguyen Thi Thao Uyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Uyen Thu,
• Le Van Thanh Son,
• Le Trung Hieu,
• Tran Ngoc Tuyen and
• Dinh Quang Khieu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 475–489, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.43

• CoFe2O4/GQDs composite material was placed in flasks sealed with aluminium foil and containing 20 mL of 10 ppm MB solution at pH 3–11, adjusted with 0.01 M HCl or 0.01 M NaOH. After 60 min of adsorption and photodegradation, the tubes were placed in a photocatalytic cabinet for illumination for 120 min

• photodegradation were evaluated by using dual liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) after the MB solution samples were illuminated for 0, 60, 120, and 180 min. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) of MB solution samples was assessed after 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min of light exposure. Result and

The microstrain-accompanied structural phase transition from h-MoO₃ to α-MoO₃ investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction

• Zeqian Zhang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Minting Luo and
• Zhenfei Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 692–700, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.55

• File 1 shows photodegradation experiments of methylene blue irradiated by ultraviolet light. The photodegradation rate of methylene blue was quantitatively estimated by pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reaction rate constants (k) are 0.01625, 0.01882, and 0.01258 min−1 for the samples calcinated at 300

Titania nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of ethanol under simulated solar light

• Evghenii Goncearenco,
• Iuliana P. Morjan,
• Claudiu Teodor Fleaca,
• Florian Dumitrache,
• Elena Dutu,
• Monica Scarisoreanu,
• Valentin Serban Teodorescu,
• Alexandra Sandulescu,
• Crina Anastasescu and
• Ioan Balint

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 616–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.51

• transmission electron microscopy. Also, specific surface area and photoluminescence with optical absorbance were evaluated. By varying the synthesis parameters (especially the working pressure), different TiO2 nanopowders were obtained, whose photodegradation properties were tested compared to a commercial

• nanoparticles with dimensions of 40–80 nm, whose number increases with increasing the working pressure. The photocatalytic properties have been investigated regarding the photodegradation of ethanol vapors in Ar with 0.3% O2 using P25 powder as reference under simulated solar light. During the irradiation H2

• many studies carried out in gas and liquid phases concerning the photodegradation of ethanol through TiO2-based materials, targeting both hydrogen production [25][26] and the photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol to CO2 [27][28]. Hydrogen production and depollution via ethanol photodegradation are of

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• nanostructures with oriented carrier transport, high optical performance, and a short carrier diffusion length, for instance, were prepared by Li and co-workers [42]. The photodegradation rates of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline were, respectively, 94.8% and 81.1% after 1 h. Additionally, Lin et al. [122

Antimicrobial and mechanical properties of functionalized textile by nanoarchitectured photoinduced Ag@polymer coating

• Jessica Plé,
• Marine Dabert,
• Helene Lecoq,
• Sophie Hellé,
• Lydie Ploux and
• Lavinia Balan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 95–109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.11

• microorganism, suggesting that the polymer matrix releases one or more compounds capable of inhibiting fungal growth. In a previous study [51], we demonstrated that the polymer matrix is capable of releasing several organic compounds due to photodegradation, including formic acid. This weak acid has been shown

LED-light-activated photocatalytic performance of metal-free carbon-modified hexagonal boron nitride towards degradation of methylene blue and phenol

• Nirmalendu S. Mishra and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1380–1392, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.114

• . The mechanistic insights on the transfer and separation of charge carriers along with the photodegradation performance and reactive oxygen species (ROS) trapping have been enunciated in detail. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) further substantiated the potential of MBN to be used as a visible

• photolysis of H2O2. Aliquots were drawn at regular intervals, ultracentrifuged at 7500 rpm, and then subjected to quantification of residual concentration of pollutants using a spectrophotometer (UV 2600 SHIMADZU, Japan). The intermediates formed during the photodegradation of phenol were analysed through a

Recent trends in Bi-based nanomaterials: challenges, fabrication, enhancement techniques, and environmental applications

• Vishal Dutta,
• Ankush Chauhan,
• Ritesh Verma,
• C. Gopalkrishnan and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1316–1336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.109

• degradation, the most notable oxidizing species are •OH, photogenerated holes, and •O2−. These species are responsible for the photodegradation of organic and inorganic contaminants in wastewater [40]. To date, it is widely understood that the main limitation of photocatalysts is their low photocatalytic

• irradiation, the RhB photodegradation efficiency of the coralloid particles produced at pH 7 was about four times greater than that of the sample synthesized at pH 0.5. The increased photocatalytic activity was caused by several factors, such as a synergistic effect of highly exposed (010) grain facets, an

• increase in the overlap between Bi 6s and O 2p orbitals, a reduced charge transfer route, and strange floating features. In another approach, Huang et al. reported a one-step hydrothermal synthesis of a BiIO4/Bi2MoO6 hybrid photocatalyst for photodegradation of RhB dye [56]. Under visible-light irradiation

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles toward highly efficient photocatalysis and antibacterial application

• Vo Thi Thu Nhu,
• Nguyen Duy Dat,
• Le-Minh Tam and
• Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1108–1119, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.94

• electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The fabricated ZnO NP samples are crystalline with a grain size of 30–100 nm. The ZnO NPs were used as catalysts for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible and UV light. The results indicate

• photocatalysts. ZnO has a higher quantum efficiency than that of TiO2 since it absorbs more energy in the UV region [4][5][6][7]. Furthermore, ZnO is a low-cost photocatalyst with high photocatalytic activity, nontoxicity, light sensitivity, and stability [8][9][10]. The photodegradation of organic substances by

• activity in dye degradation (methylene blue and methyl orange). The photodegradation efficiency of a dye solution by ZnO NPs under UV is greater than that under visible light. ZnO NPs completely degraded a MB solution of 10 mg/L for 210 min under ultraviolet light while the MB degradation efficiency

Spindle-like MIL101(Fe) decorated with Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of chlortetracycline under visible-light irradiation

• Chen-chen Hao,
• Fang-yan Chen,
• Kun Bian,
• Yu-bin Tang and
• Wei-long Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1038–1050, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.91

• To evaluate the photocatalytic activity of BOM-20, the photodegradation of chlortetracycline (CTC) under visible-light irradiation was conducted. It can be seen from Figure 6a that Bi2O3 shows poor adsorption and photocatalytic activity, and the CTC removal rate is only 40% within 120 min. MIL101(Fe

• ) shows strong adsorption capacity in the dark and a poorer photocatalytic activity. With the photocatalysis of MIL101(Fe), the photodegradation efficiency of CTC only could reach 64.5% after irradiation for 120 min. Compared with MIL101(Fe), Bi2O3/MIL101(Fe) composites exhibit a slightly weakened

• various composites, BOM-20 shows the highest activity with a CTC removal rate up to 88.2%. Additionally, Figure 6b demonstrates that the photocatalytic degradation of CTC accords with the quasi-first-order kinetic model. Figure 6c shows the apparent kinetic constant (k) of CTC photodegradation by the as

Solar-light-driven LaFe_xNi_1−xO₃ perovskite oxides for photocatalytic Fenton-like reaction to degrade organic pollutants

• Chao-Wei Huang,
• Shu-Yu Hsu,
• Jun-Han Lin,
• Yun Jhou,
• Wei-Yu Chen,
• Kun-Yi Andrew Lin,
• Yu-Tang Lin and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 882–895, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.79

• transmittance and suitable surface area for degrading methylparaben. Although Ti-doped catalyst was expected as a semiconductor to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency, pure LaFeO3 still revealed the better performance of methylparaben photodegradation than LaTi0.15Fe0.85O3 [28]. On the contrary, Garcia-Muñoz

• showed no MB degradation). The degradation of 70% LaFeO3 in 30 min was approximately 60.0%. Considering the light shading effect by LaNiO3, the MB photodegradation of physically mixed 70% LaFeO3 and 30% LaNiO3 might be lower. On the contrary, the LaFe0.7Ni0.3O3 showed 78.5% of MB degradation in 30 min

• . Therefore, we believed there would be a benefit of doping Ni to improve the photodegradation. In Figure 9, by taking the negative natural logarithmic value of C/C0, it was observed that all the degradation trends were in line with first-order kinetics: where k was the rate constants of MB degradation

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

Sodium doping in brookite TiO₂ enhances its photocatalytic activity

• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Honglei Zhang and
• Zeqian Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 599–609, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.52

• photodegradation of the orange II dye of brookite varies with the annealing temperature [20]. These differences in the photocatalytic activity of brookite were generally considered as factors such as the specific surface area, crystallite size, and crystallinity [9][21]. But whether the local atomic structure of

• activity. Results and Discussion Enhanced photocatalytic activity The photocatalytic activity of the samples calcinated at 300–600 °C for 2 h was measured by the photodegradation of MB under UV light at room temperature. Figure 1a and Figure 1b display the dynamic changes in the absorption spectra of MB

• activity, and more than 90% of MB was decolorized after UV light irradiation for 30 min. However, for the samples calcinated at 500 and 600 °C, it takes about 60 min to degrade 90% of MB. Moreover, the photodegradation rate of MB by the samples was quantitatively characterized based on pseudo first-order

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10