Photodegradation of organic pollutants using N-titanium oxide catalyst

• A novel approach of elimination of colorless impurities.
• Photoelectrocatalytically with arrays of 5at%N-TiO2 photoanodes.
• Degradation of organic impurities by extinction, COD and TOC.
• The 4-chlorophenol, salicylic, benzoic and oxalic acid.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of typical aromatic compounds with persistent reaction rate is studied using thin layers of N-titanium dioxide deposited on transparent and conducting glass substrates. Backside illuminated flow-through parallel plate photoelectrochemical reactors is used and electrical bias for suppressing charge carrier recombination is applied externally. The degradation experiments are performed under solar irradiation with the conditions aimed at reducing contaminant concentrations to maximal tolerated levels as specified under environmental regulations. From the observed COD–time relations, rate constants normalized to unit volume and photocurrent (kinetic parameters), characterizing the efficiency of the electrochemical oxidation process involving photogenerated valence band holes or their immediate reaction products, are calculated and compared to the decrease of optical extinction of the solutions. The parameters for salicylic acid, 4-chlorophenol, benzoic acid and oxalic acid are found to decrease as the main absorption peaks of these substances diminish in due course of degradation reaction. In order to realize a complete mineralization of such compounds, which should be an ultimate aim of water purification, COD and TOC is analyzed.

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