School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A circular economy approach: Reimagining spent pickling sludge for ultra-efficient photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A and hydrogen evolution under natural sunlight

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2026

Abstract

Spent pickling sludge (SPS), a waste rich in valuable constituents, was integrated with silver nanoparticles to develop an efficient photocatalyst (Ag–SPS) with enhanced photocatalytic activity. The photocatalyst was synthesized via the co-precipitation method and exhibited an outstanding Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation efficiency of 93.6%, along with a hydrogen evolution rate of 356 µmol/g/h under natural sunlight. The as-synthesized photocatalyst was characterized using UV-DRS, FESEM-EDX, HRTEM, XRD, PL, XPS, ESR, and VSM, confirming the successful fabrication of Ag-SPS. The incorporation of Ag nanoparticles induced a red shift, leading to improved electron–hole separation and enhanced visible-light absorption. Moreover, the influence of key operational parameters, including BPA concentration, pH, and catalyst loading, was optimized using RSM-BBD. As a result, the Ag–SPS displayed excellent recyclability, with only a 6.2% loss after 5 cycles. In addition, radical trapping experiments revealed that superoxide anion radicals were the predominant active species responsible for BPA degradation, while GC–MS analysis further elucidated the possible degradation pathways. Besides, ICP–OES technique confirmed that the released ion concentrations remained well below environmental safety limits, ensuring its safe application in water treatment. Importantly, the magnetic nature of the photocatalyst allows for easy recovery and reuse, making it cost-effective and sustainable. Overall, this work aligns with the concept of the circular economy by upcycling industrial waste (SPS) into a sunlight-driven photocatalyst for water remediation and hydrogen production, promoting resource recovery and sustainability.

Comments

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6560105

Publication Title

Applied Materials Today

DOI

10.1016/j.apmt.2026.103302

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