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Dr L Tshwenya

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow | College of Science, Engineering and Technology
School of Science | Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability

Email: tshwenl@unisa.ac.za
Campus: Science
Building: NB Pityana
Office: A1-070

  • PhD. Chemistry (University of Johannesburg, 2020)
  • MTech. Chemistry (University of Johannesburg, 2017)
  • BTech. Analytical Chemistry (Walter Sisulu University, 2015)
  • NDip. Analytical Chemistry (Walter Sisulu University, 2011)

  • Wastewater treatment and reuse
  • Desalination
  • Electromembrane bioremediation
  • Electrocoagulation
  • Ionic diodes
  • 3D printing

  • Water treatment
  • Nanotechnology
  • Ionic current rectification
  • Electromembrane processes
  • Thin films

  1. Li, Z., Mathwig, K., Arotiba, O. A., Tshwenya, L., Neto, E. B. C., Pereira, E. C., & Marken, F. (2023). Driving electrochemical membrane processes with coupled ionic diodes. Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 101280.
  2. Mahhumane, N., Cele, L. M., Muzenda, C., Nkwachukwu, O. V., Orimolade, B. O., Koiki, B. A., Tshwenya, L., & Arotiba, O. A. (2022). Photoelectrocatalytic application of a superhydrophilic exfoliated graphite supported iron doped Bi2WO6 photoanode for the degradation of Orange II dye in water. Materials Today Communications, 33, 104804.
  3. Riza Putra, B., Tshwenya, L., Buckingham, M. A., Chen, J., Jeremiah Aoki, K., Mathwig, K., ... & Marken, F. (2021). Microscale ionic diodes: An overview. Electroanalysis, 33(6), 1398-1418.
  4. Tsekeli, T. R., Tshwenya, L., Sebokolodi, T. I., Ndlovu, T., & Arotiba, O. A. (2021). An Electrochemical Aptamer Biosensor for Bisphenol A on a Carbon Nanofibre‐silver Nanoparticle Immobilisation Platform. Electroanalysis, 33(9), 2053-2061.
  5. Tshwenya, L., Putra, B. R., Orimolade, B., Marken, F., & Arotiba, O. A. (2020). Surface Modified Carbon Nanomats Provide Cationic and Anionic Rectifier Membranes in Aqueous Electrolyte Media. Electrochimica Acta. 136750.
  6. Putra, B. R., Madrid, E., Tshwenya, L., Arotiba, O. A., & Marken, F. (2020). An AC-driven desalination/salination system based on a Nafion cationic rectifier. Desalination, 480, 114351.
  7. Tshwenya, L., Mathwig, K., Marken, F., & Arotiba, O. A. (2020). Switching anionic and Cationic Semi-Permeability in Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylonitrile: A pH-Tunable Ionic Rectifier. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 12 (2), 3214-3224.
  8. Orimolade, B., Zwane, N. B, Koiki, B., Tshwenya, L., Peleyeju, M.G., Mabuba, N., & O.A. (2019). Solar photoelectrocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin at a FTO/BiVO4/MnO2 anode: kinetics, intermediate products and degradation pathway studies. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8(1), 103607. 2
  9. Tshwenya, L., Marken, F., & Arotiba, O. A. (2019). Carbon Nanofibers Provide a Cationic Rectifier Material: Specific Electrolyte Effects, Bipolar Reactivity, and Prospect for Desalination. ChemElectroChem, 6(12), 3145-3153.
  10. Tshwenya, L., Arotiba, O., Putra, B. R., Madrid, E., Mathwig, K., & Marken, F. (2018). Cationic diodes by hot-pressing of Fumasep FKS-30 ionomer film onto a microhole in polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 815, 114-122.
  11. Jimana, A., Peleyeju, M. G., Tshwenya, L., Pillay, K., & Arotiba, O. A. (2018). Voltammetric Analysis of As (III) at a Cobalt Nanoparticles/Reduced Graphene Oxide Modified Exfoliated Graphite Electrode. International Journal of Electrochemical Sciences, 13, 10127-10140.
  12. Umukoro, E. H., Madyibi, S. S., Peleyeju, M. G., Tshwenya, L., Viljoen, E. H., Ngila, J. C., & Arotiba, O. A. (2017). Photocatalytic application of Pd-ZnO-exfoliated graphite nanocomposite for the enhanced removal of acid orange 7 dye in water. Solid State Sciences, 74, 118-124.
  13. Peleyeju, M. G., Umukoro, E. H., Tshwenya, L., Moutloali, R., Babalola, J. O., & Arotiba, O. A. (2017). Photoelectrocatalytic water treatment systems: degradation, kinetics and intermediate products studies of sulfamethoxazole on a TiO2-exfoliated graphite electrode. RSC Advances, 7(64), 40571-40580.
  14. Tshwenya, L., & Arotiba, O. A. (2017). Ethylenediamine functionalized carbon nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation for cadmium removal from water. RSC Advances, 7(54), 34226-34235.

  • Awarded the ‘Global Excellence and Stature Scholarship’ - University of Johannesburg (Oct 2017- Dec 2019)
  • Best Nanotechnology Concept Competition – University of Johannesburg (first prize: 2018)
  • Science and Postgraduate blogger - South African Young Academy of Science (Jan 2018 – Jul 2018)
  • Visiting Scholar; School of Chemistry - University of Bath (Aug 2017 – Nov 2017)
  • Awarded the ‘DST/Mintek NIC scholarship’ – Mintek (Feb 2015 – Oct 2017)

  • Development of Electro-Membrane Bioreactors (eMBR) for Resource Recovery and Pollution Mitigation in South Africa.
  • 3D Printing and Electrospinning: A Synergistic Approach to Electrode and Membrane Design for Optimized electrocoagulation and eMBRs

ORCHID link: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1110-0248