Patricio J. Espinoza-Montero

Patricio J. Espinoza-Montero
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador | PUCE · Escuela de Ciencias Químicas

Prof. Dr.

About

125
Publications
43,356
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1,494
Citations
Introduction
Patricio Javier Espinoza-Montero is currently a full-time Professor at School of Chemical Sciences in Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador (PUCE) and leads the Group of Fundamental and Applied Electrochemistry at PUCE (@GEFA_PUCE). Research lines: a) Advanced Oxidation Processes for wastewater treatment (Photoelectrocatalysis, Electrooxidation, Photocatalysis); b) Sensors, Biosensors; c) Development of polymeric membranes using Electrospinning; d) Microbial Fuel Cell; e) Food Science
Additional affiliations
March 2018 - present
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador
Position
  • Professor (Full)
Education
January 2010 - September 2014
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Field of study
  • Electrocatalysis and Advanced Oxidation Processes
February 2007 - December 2009
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Field of study
  • Electrosynthesis, conductive polymer
August 2002 - February 2007
Universidad Central de Ecuador
Field of study
  • Chemist

Publications

Publications (125)
Article
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Chemical oxygen demand-COD is essential for water pollution control and monitoring and is also used to validate wastewater treatment technologies. Conventional COD determination use of costly toxic inputs that do not align with Sustainable Development Goals 6. To address these environmental challenges, photocatalytic (PC)- and photoelectrocatalytic...
Article
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One of the most toxic metals is mercury, which exhibits high toxicity during short exposure periods. This study aimed to determine the concentration of total mercury (THg) in fish muscle tissue from various species captured from two locations in the middle basin of the Pastaza River in Ecuador, which the locals use in their weekly diet. The individ...
Article
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This work reports on the assessment of a non-hydrolytic electrochemical sensor for glucose sensing that is developed using functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs)/Co(OH)2. The morphology of the nanocomposite was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, which revealed that the CNTs interacted with Co(OH)2. This content formed a nanocomposite th...
Article
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The brewing process of craft beer can introduce contamination by heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, and Zn from various sources. Cadmium and lead metals are particularly worrisome because of their harmful effects on human health. This study aimed to evaluate a method for quantifying the levels of Cd, Pb, and Zn in craft beer brands sold in the northern r...
Article
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Mercury is a toxic trace metal found in seafood products owing to its bioaccumulative and ubiquitous nature. Seafood and fish are frequently consumed, being necessary to assess its human health risk. Accordingly, this study quantified total mercury in samples of canned tuna in water from supermarkets in the Metropolitan District of Quito in Ecuador...
Article
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The main chemical, ecotoxicological, and environmental fate characteristics of cyanide, along with its treatment methods for cyanide-contaminated wastewater, were thoroughly examined. A global biogeochemical cycle of cyanide is proposed, covering the key physicochemical processes occurring in aqueous, soil, and atmospheric environments. The princip...
Article
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Electrophoretic deposition is a straightforward method for synthesizing high-quality photoanodes. We present a protocol for synthesizing a TiO2-modified boron-doped diamond photoanode (BDD/TiO2) via electrophoretic deposition, detailing the chemical and electrochemical treatments applied to the bare BDD electrode prior to use. We provide a step-by-...
Article
The degradation and metabolism of antibiotics have attracted the scientific community's attention due to the environmental problems caused by the inappropriate use and disposal of these drugs. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the reaction mechanism involved in the degradation of these compounds. We studied the hydrolysis of nitrocefin and ben...
Article
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The native berries of South America present promising marketing opportunities owing to their high antioxidant content, notably rich in anthocyanin and phenolic compounds. However, Ecuador’s endemic fruits, primarily found in the wild, lack comprehensive data regarding their phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity, underscoring the need f...
Article
Lignocellulosic biomass offers a sustainable and renewable method for producing high-quality fuels and value-added chemicals. In this study, residues from peach palm (top, inner sheath, and meristem), sugarcane (top), and pineapple (mother plant) were characterized based on their physicochemical properties and thermal degradation behavior to estima...
Article
The development of new light-active materials is essential in photoelectrocatalysis, as these materials, along with the system parameters, drive the process’s overall performance. Therefore, in this short review, we analyze new trends in mixed oxide photoelectrodes and their application in the treatment of water contaminants. We briefly describe th...
Article
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Microplastic (MP) accumulation in the environment is accelerating rapidly, which has led to their effects on both the ecosystem and human life garnering much attention. This study is the first to examine the degradation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MPs via photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) using a TiO2-modified boron-doped diamond (BDD/TiO2) photo...
Article
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Selecting the ideal anodic potential conditions and corresponding limiting current density to generate reactive oxygen species, especially the hydroxyl radical (•OH), becomes a major challenge when venturing into advanced electrochemical oxidation processes. In this work, a step-by-step guide for the electrochemical generation of •OH on boron-doped...
Chapter
Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have been extensively studied for the degradation/mineralization of organic matter in aqueous media such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). PPCPs are emerging contaminants that are found in trace concentrations and can generate negative effects on human health and ecosystems. AOPs such as elect...
Article
Decentralized water/wastewater treatment technologies have emerged to reach a better and more sustainable society. Access to clean water for all is a major goal identified by the United Nations to be reached by 2030. How would this concept of decentralized treatments using electrochemical technologies impact the way of living in Latin American coun...
Article
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Marine sediments are a useful environmental assessment matrix as they naturally trap toxic substances of anthropogenic origin and thus have higher concentrations of these than the surrounding water. Therefore, developing methods for the sensitive, accurate, and inexpensive quantification of these substances is important, as the traditional techniqu...
Article
Paracetamol, a contaminant of emerging concern, has been detected in different bodies of water, where it can impact ecological and human health. To quantify this paracetamol, electroanalytical methods have gained support. Thus, the present study developed a simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly method for paracetamol quantification usin...
Article
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Electrochemical oxidation (EO) has been investigated as an alternative treatment technique for the remediation of real textile effluents containing a single dye and a trichromy of Remazol Yellow 3RS (RY 3RS), Remazol Red RR Gran (RR-RR Gran) and Navy Blue CL-R (NB CL-R) dyes, using a parallel plate flow reactor equipped with Ti/Pt or Ti/Pt-Sn-Sb el...
Article
Combining iron with the tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (Fe-TAML) results in an efficient catalytic complex that, in the presence of an oxidant such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), efficiently promotes the degradation of organic pollutants via oxidants. To date, various synthesis methods have been employed, resulting in seven different Fe-TAML/H2O2 com...
Article
Seafood consumption is the primary exposure route for trace metals like mercury. Accordingly, canned tuna meat has been focused on by researchers because of the potential bioaccumulation of high amounts of mercury. This study aimed to test a novel and reliable electroanalytical method employing a working electrode consisting of gold-nanoparticle-mo...
Article
Full-text available
The presence of heavy metals in craft beers can endanger human health if the total metal content exceeds the exposure limits recommended by sanitary standards; in addition, they can cause damage to the quality of the beer. In this work, the concentration of Cd(II), Cu(II), and Fe(III) was determined in 13 brands of craft beer with the highest consu...
Article
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Treating domestic wastewater has become more and more complicated due to the high content of different types of detergents. In this context, advanced electro-oxidation (AEO) has become a powerful tool for complex wastewater remediation. The electrochemical degradation of surfactants present in domestic wastewater was carried out using a DiaClean® c...
Article
The discharge of wastewater from the carwash has increased with the growth of the vehicle fleet. At carwash stations, thousands of cubic meters per week of untreated wastewater are discharged, which generally contain surfactants, dust, metal, oils, organic and inorganic matter. To mitigate this problem, various technologies have been tried, however...
Article
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Air transports several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), which can produce cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Thus, it is a challenge to control pollutant emissions before releasing them to the environment. Until now, filtration has been the most efficient processes for removing PM. Therefore, the electrospinning procedure has be...
Article
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In this study, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous extract of the leaves of fine aroma cocoa Theobroma cacao linneu (Malvaceae) were optimized by electrochemical techniques. Electrochemical analyzes were carried out by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The antioxidant index (AI50) of the optimized extract w...
Article
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This study evaluated the antioxidant properties and chemical composition of the seeds, pulp and peels of Ungurahua (Oenocarpus bataua) and Pasu (Gustavia macarenensis)—fruits, native to the Ecuadorian Amazon. The antioxidant capacity was measured by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and cyclic voltammetry (antioxidant index 50 (AI50)) assays; di...
Article
Sustainably addressing the water needs of populations in countries lacking adequate infrastructure is challenging. We discuss the potential of decentralized water and wastewater treatment using electrified processes across Latin American countries and reflect on what would help their implementation in the region.
Article
Full-text available
This study aimed to quantify the amount of total mercury in bivalves Anadara tuberculosa supplied from Esmeraldas Province and sold in markets in the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. The determined total mercury concentration was compared to the permissible limits established by the European Commission and World Health Organization-Food and...
Article
This research reports on the preparation of a boron-doped diamond microelectrode modified with platinum nanoparticles and Nafion and its application for detecting nitric oxide (NO) in vitro in the mouse colon. Platinum nanoparticle deposition was performed potentiodynamically using a 2.0 mmol L-1 potassium hexachloroplatinate solution and cycling f...
Article
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Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PHT1) treatment is mainly focused on inhibiting the enzyme glycolate oxidase, which plays a pivotal role in the production of glyoxylate, which undergoes oxidation to produce oxalate. When the renal secretion capacity exceeds, calcium oxalate forms stones that accumulate in the kidneys. In this respect, detailed QSAR a...
Article
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Introduction The release of metallic ions from orthodontic brackets and wires typically depends on their quality (chemical composition) and the medium to which they are exposed, e.g., acidic, alkaline, substances with a high fluoride concentration, etc. This review examines corrosion and wear of orthodontic brackets, wires, and arches exposed to di...
Article
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Evaluation of an electrochemical biosensor based on glassy carbon (GC) electrode that was modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which in turn were modified with hydroxyapatite (HAp) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is reported. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles namely HAp5 and HAp20, that resp...
Article
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An important target of photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) technology is the development of semiconductor-based photoelectrodes capable of absorbing solar energy (visible light) and promoting oxidation and reduction reactions. Bismuth oxyhalide-based materials BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I) meet these requirements. Their crystalline structure, optical and electr...
Article
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In this investigation, a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrochemical sensor was evaluated. Prussian blue (PB) was electrodeposited at a glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with titanium dioxide– and zirconia-doped functionalized carbon nanotubes (TiO2.ZrO2-fCNTs), obtaining the PB/TiO2.ZrO2-fCNTs/GC-modified electrode. The morphology and structure o...
Article
The electrophoretic deposition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (Degussa P25) onto a boron-doped diamond (BDD) substrate was carried out to produce a photoanode (TiO2/BDD) to apply in the degradation and mineralization of sodium diclofenac (DCF-Na) in an aqueous medium using photoelectrocatalysis (PEC). This study was divided into three sta...
Chapter
Recalcitrant compounds are a serious environmental and health problem mainly due to their toxicity and potential hazardous effects on living organisms, including human beings. Conventional wastewater treatments have not been able to remove pollutants from water efficiently; however, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are able to solve this environ...
Article
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The production and use of eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors allows valuable compounds contained in plant waste to be identified and repurposed while reducing the use of polluting synthetic substances. Pectin extracted from Tahiti limes (Citrus latifolia) and King mandarin (Citrus nobilis L.) in addition to natural gums—xanthan gum and latex from th...
Article
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a clean oxidizing reagent with many industrial, environmental, medical, and domestic applications. It has been frequently produced using the anthraquinone oxidation process. However, more recently, the electrochemical production of H2O2 has become a popular alternative, as this process is chemically green and sustainabl...
Article
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A strong pump-power dependence of the four-wave mixing (FWM) signal for an aqueous solution of Malachite green is reported. The characteristics of the pump-power dependence of the nonlinear signal are reproduced by a theoretical model based on the coupling between pump-probe, considering signal fields and propagation effects. The effect of the intr...
Article
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En este trabajo se evaluó la degradación del colorante azul de metileno (AM) utilizando TiO2 suportado en botellas de vidrio y tereftalato de polietileno (PET) recicladas, como fotorreactores irradiados con luz solar, con y sin adición de peróxido de hidrogeno (H2O2). La degradación del AM (30 mg L-1) se siguió mediante espectroscopía UV-Vis, y su...
Article
Biofilters coupled to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are the most integral treatment technology that generate water-energy nexus for rural zones sanitation. Moreover, biofilters coupled to MFCs, using organic residues as bed filter have not been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was comparatively to evaluate biofilters based on corncobs/sawdus...
Article
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The physicochemical properties of pastry and confectionery products greatly influence the aesthetic design of a cake topping, since they can be susceptible to physicochemical changes in a very short time, so maintaining a good appearance and texture of the topping becomes a challenge. Generally, cake creams deteriorate over time. The evaluation of...
Article
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We determined the optical profiles of a molecular system coupled with a thermal bath in presence of intramolecular coupling. Solvent effects were explicitly considered as a random variable by modelling the non-radiative interaction with the solute. Optical susceptibilities of stochastic origin were solved through cumulant expansions in Gaussian dis...
Article
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Purpose The importance of studying polyphenolic compounds as natural antioxidants has encouraged the search for new methods of analysis that are quick and simple. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extracts has been presented as an alternative to determine the total polyphenolic content and its antioxidant activity. Methods...
Article
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Los hidróxidos dobles laminares (LDH, por sus siglas en inglés), también denominados como Hidrotalcitas (HTs), son una clase de materiales arcillosos bidimensionales conocidos por su estructura laminar única, composición versátil y propiedades de intercambio iónico. En este trabajo se reporta la determinación de la relación estequiométrica de arcil...
Article
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The immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase enzyme over Magnesium (Mg-nHT) and Nickel (Ni-nHT) nano Hydrotalcite clays were synthesized by the co-precipitation method, and later modified with gold nanoparticles through in-situ synthesis and delamination-restructuration, is reported. The synthesized materials were characterized by Fourier-Transform...
Article
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Resumen: El agua es el recurso vital para los seres vivos, sin embargo, durante los últimos años su calidad se ha deteriorado convirtiéndose en un problema de contaminación a nivel mundial. Por otro lado, la crisis energética no permite que la población tenga una buena calidad de vida, lo que detiene de cierta manera, el desarrollo. Debido a ello,...
Article
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The evaluation of glassy carbon (GC) electrodes modified with a Nafion (Nf) film and doped with nanoalloys (Nys) deposits of Ag-Hg and Ag-Bi and their application to determination of Cd (II) and Pb(II) in marine sediments, is described. Deposited Ag-Hg and AgBi Nys have a size of approximately~80 nm dispersed and embedded inside the booths of the N...
Article
Water pollution is an environmental problem in constant raising because of population growing, industrial development, agricultural frontier expansion, and principally because of the lack of wastewater treatment technology to remove organic recalcitrant and toxic pollutants from industrial and domestic wastewater. Recalcitrant compounds are a serio...
Article
The construction of a photoanode with several layers of titanium oxysulfate as a precursor to form titanium dioxide-TiO2 on boron doped diamond-BDD (TiO2/BDD), and its application for the photoelectro-degradation of glyphosate in aqueous medium are presented. The study was divided into three stages: i) optimization of the number of layers of the Ti...
Article
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El artículo es de revisión, y de acuerdo con la plantilla no se solicita Abstract.
Technical Report
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Glyphosate degradation by EO at 5 mA/cm2 enabled to reach the highest removal percentage (91.1%) and kinetic rate (k = 0.0081 min-1) (Figure 5A), however, glyphosate remotion by PEC at 3 mA/cm2 under UV light permitted to attain higher removal percentage (99.5%) and highest kinetic rate constant (0.0186 min-1) (Figure 5B), after five treatment hour...
Article
Full-text available
El mercurio es considerado un contaminante altamente peligroso debido a su elevada toxicidad y a su carácter acumulativo. Presenta varios efectos en la salud humana tales como: trastornos del sistema nervioso, deterioro intelectual, problemas gastrointestinales y cáncer. El uso de técnicas electroquímicas es una alternativa para la cuantificación d...
Article
Full-text available
Kinetic and environmental aspects related with the mineralization of a commercial glyphosate (GP) formulation in a pre-pilot-scale reactor were assessed. Assays were performed at an acidic pH using Na2SO4 as support electrolyte at five different current densities. GP removal can be achieved in 60 min and is not dependent on the applied current dens...
Article
Introduction: Metallic ions release from orthodontic brackets and wires mostly depends on quality (chemical composition) and the medium to which it is exposed, e.g., acid, alkali, substances with high fluorine concentration, etc. This review addressed corrosion and wear of orthodontic brackets, wires and arches exposed to different media: beverages...
Article
Full-text available
Edible coatings as a postharvest preservation technique for fruits and vegetables, is considered safe and ecological, which offers advantages for the preservation and shelf life of food. Edible coatings based on polysaccharides or proteins, which incorporate lipids and plasticizers in their formulation, serve as a barrier for gas exchange, protect...
Article
Full-text available
The electron transfer reactions of biomolecules are an important focus of extensive research in Chemistry, Physics, and Biochemistry. Electrochemistry provides powerful tools for studying electron transfer processes in biochemical systems, where the enzymes are molecules of particular interest. Among the nanomaterials for enzyme immobilization on e...
Article
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Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine] is a herbicide with several commercial formulations that are used generally in agriculture for the control of various weeds. It is the most used pesticide in the world and comprises multiple constituents (coadjutants, salts, and others) that help to effectively reach the action's mechanism in plants. Due to...
Article
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We propose modifications of the conventional optical Bloch equations for a complex system, when we consider intermolecular coupling effects. We model the isolated molecule as Born-Oppenheimer energy curves consisting of two-electronic states described as harmonic potentials, with minima displaced in nuclear coordinates and energy. We consider two-v...
Article
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El uso de los recubrimientos comestibles como una técnica de conservación poscosecha para frutas y verduras, es considerada como segura y ecológica, la cual ofrece ventajas para la conservación y vida útil de los alimentos. El constante evolucionar de esta tecnología, permite obtener nuevos y mejores recubrimientos comestibles de origen natural, qu...
Article
We analyze the statistical averages over a set of realizations of the random variable in the Stochastic Optical Bloch equations, using Novikov's sufficient condition theorem. We consider a system on an adiabatic basis interacting with an external field in the presence of a thermal reservoir. We analyzed both for delta-correlated functions (white no...
Article
Full-text available
Most dyes used in the textile industry are chemically stable and poorly biodegradable, therefore, they are persistent in the environment and difficult to degrade by conventional methods. An alternative treatment for this kind of substance is heterogeneous photocatalysis using TiO2 , so, in this work, it is proposed to degrade Direct Blue 1 (DB1) us...
Article
We consider the Four-Wave mixing (FWM) signal and the effects of the pump beam on the nonlinear optical responses of a two-level system where intramolecular coupling is modelled by two coupled harmonic electronic potentials, displaced both in their equilibrium minimum position and energy. We investigate the modifications introduced in the FWM signa...
Article
Nowadays, the increasing pollution of natural water effluents with textile dyes is an emerging problem that has not received attention enough. This work presents a study on the preparation of two Ti/IrO2-SnO2-Sb2O5 electrodes so-called E1 and E2 with 0.01 and 0.09 wt.% of Sb dopant, respectively, by the Pechini method. The characteristics of these...