Solid Waste Ceramsite Composite Boosts Photo-Fenton Phenol Degradation Tenfold

A composite built from industrial solid waste has shown markedly faster photo-Fenton degradation of phenol in a study published in the Journal of Materials Science. Researchers prepared CaTiO3-β zeolite/Fe2O3-modified porous ceramsite, abbreviated CTO-β/FTVI, through an impregnation-calcination route that adds catalytic phases to a porous ceramsite matrix derived from solid waste.

The study starts from a recognized limitation: the heterogeneous photo-Fenton degradation of higher-concentration phenol using solid waste-based porous ceramsite suffers from limited efficiency. The team tested whether layering CaTiO3-β zeolite and iron oxide phases onto the ceramsite support could lift that performance under defined reaction conditions.

Under the tested conditions, the optimal 3-CTO-β/FTVI catalyst achieved 85.4% UV-Vis-monitored apparent degradation of 40 mg/L phenol at pH 4 with 49.0 mM hydrogen peroxide. The reaction followed an apparent pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.02644 min−1, roughly ten times higher than that of the unmodified ceramsite matrix, indicating that the added CaTiO3-β zeolite and iron oxide phases substantially accelerate the photo-Fenton process.

The authors are careful to describe the degradation figure as an apparent value rather than a selective determination of phenol. Because aromatic intermediates formed during breakdown may also absorb at the 270 nm monitoring wavelength, the UV-Vis signal can reflect parent phenol and breakdown products together, a caveat that matters for interpreting apparent degradation percentages in photo-Fenton studies.

Durability is a central concern for heterogeneous catalysts, and the composite maintained 70.5% of its initial apparent activity after four reuse cycles. The reported retention covers the four tested cycles; longer-term cycling data would be needed to establish sustained performance beyond that range.

Mechanistic probing through radical scavenging experiments and band structure analyses identified hydroxyl radicals (·OH) as the dominant reactive species, with superoxide radicals (·O2−) and photogenerated holes (h+) playing synergistic supporting roles. This radical hierarchy is consistent with a predominantly heterogeneous photo-Fenton mechanism operating at the catalyst surface.

The band structure results add one further element to the mechanism: photocatalysis may facilitate the surface Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle. The evidence links the observed radical hierarchy and band structure to this predominantly heterogeneous photo-Fenton pathway, in which the photocatalytic component and the surface iron redox chemistry operate together rather than as separate processes.

The authors frame the work as a feasible strategy for converting industrial solid wastes into efficient, stable heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalysts for phenolic wastewater treatment. Because the support itself originates from solid waste, the approach pairs a waste-derived catalyst support with phenol degradation. The results remain a laboratory demonstration under defined conditions of pH, peroxide dose and phenol concentration, but they establish a design route for waste-derived photo-Fenton composites that combine high apparent activity with cycle stability.

Subject of Research: CaTiO3-β zeolite modified porous ceramsite composites for enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of phenol

Article Title: CaTiO3-β zeolite modified porous ceramsite composites for enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of phenol

Article References: Zhang, Y., Lei, X.-F., Wang, C.-H., Yu, Q., Luo, S.-H., & Chen, H.-H. (2026). CaTiO3-β zeolite modified porous ceramsite composites for enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of phenol. Journal of Materials Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-026-13997-x

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10853-026-13997-x

Keywords: photo-Fenton, phenol degradation, porous ceramsite, CaTiO3, β zeolite, solid waste recycling, wastewater treatment, hydroxyl radicals, Journal of Materials Science, CaTiO3-, zeolite, modified