Ethylene Glycol (EG)-Derived Chlorine-Resistant Cu0/TiO2–x for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Nitrate to N2 without Sacrificial Agents at Near-Neutral pH Conditions: The Synergistic Effects of Cu0 and EG Radicals

The selective photoreduction of nitrate to nontoxic nitrogen gas has emerged as an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly route for nitrate removal. However, the coexisting high-concentration chloride ions in wastewater can exert a significant influence on nitrate reduction due to the competitive adsorption and corrosion of Cl– on photocatalysts. Herein, we prepared ethylene glycol-Cu/TiO2–x (EG-Cu/TiO2–x ) through a solvothermal reaction of Cu-doped TiO2 in an EG solution. The photodegradation of nitrate using EG-Cu/TiO2–x without adding sacrificial agents can efficiently occur in near-neutral pH solutions containing 50 mM Cl– with 95.26% of NO3 – removal and 76.52% of N2 selectivity. Moreover, the photocatalyst performance remained at a high level after 8 cycles. In this work, NO3 – was first converted to NH4 + by Cu0 and Ti3+, followed by the NH4 +-to-N2 conversion by photogenerated chlorine free radicals. Compared to HO•, Cl•, and Cl2 •–, ClO • is proved to play the predominant role in transforming NH4 + to N2. The EG radicals produced by UV light impede Cl– adsorption on Cu, protecting Cu0 from being corroded. What’s more, photoelectrons can reduce Ti4+ to Ti3+ and protect Cu0 from being oxidized, enabling the stability of reactive sites. This work provides novel insights and understanding on designing photocatalysts for NO3 – removal in solutions containing chloride ions, highlighting the significance of eliminating Cl– by EG radicals and adjusting the conversion process of NO3 – for the efficient removal of NO3 –.