Work

Comparative life cycle assessment of the fabrication of visible-light-driven photocatalytic TiO2 – Carbon dots nanocomposites for wastewater treatment

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: TiO 2 nanoparticles are promising photocatalysts due to their oxidizing strength and inertness. However, their inability to efficiently absorb visible light limits industrial applications that could use sunlight. The addition of carbon dots to TiO 2 has been recently shown to have the potential to address this issue by enhancing the visible-light-driven photocatalytic efficiency of the resulting nanocomposites. However, concrete data on their sustainable development and fabrication is lacking. Herein, we performed a life cycle assessment (LCA) study to understand the environmental impacts of different TiO 2 ‑carbon dots nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity. It was found that the nanocomposites with the highest photocatalytic activity were the ones whose synthesis was associated with lower environmental impacts. Furthermore, the carbon dots generally have little to moderate contributions to most impact categories, except for marine eutrophication. Finally, the most critical parameter was found to be the source of TiO 2 for the nanocomposites.

Source: NanoImpact

DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2025.100556

Authors: Ricardo M.S. Sendão, Joaquim C.G. Esteves da Silva, Luís Pinto da Silva

Institutions: Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Produção Agroalimentar Sustentável

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Clean water and sanitation, Climate action, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,600