A One-Step and Scalable Continuous-Flow Nanoprecipitation for Catalytic Reduction of Organic Pollutants in Water

Abstract

Efficient treatment of organic pollutants in water by a facile and green technique is a great challenge for environmental remediation. In this study, we report a simple and low-energy strategy for catalytic reduction of organic pollutants in water by continuous-flow flash nanoprecipitation. The one-step processing technique integrates rapid metal@polymer nanoparticle production and catalytic reaction in a continuous-flow fashion. Such a concept is successfully demonstrated for simultaneous formation of Au@polymer nanospheres and catalytic reduction of organic pollutants (e.g., methylene blue and 4-nitrophenol) in water. Furthermore, the catalytic reaction rate could be easily tuned by varying the processing parameters (e.g., feeding concentration). The activity of the nanocatalyst was demonstrated in five recycles without any detectable loss. The characteristics of continuous-flow mode make the one-step process scalable, promising processing methodology for wastewater treatment.