Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
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27840 | Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry | 2013 | 8 Pages |
Adsorption, photolysis and photocatalytic degradation of methylamine (MA) were investigated using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photocatalyst. The influence of various parameters such as concentrations, irradiation time, pH, UV domain and UV-A/UV-B radiant flux has been studied. Optimum conditions for the complete degradation of MA in water have been identified. By investigating the pH-dependent kinetics, it was found that the neutral species CH3NH2 are more rapidly degraded than their protonated form CH3NH3+ because the OH radicals favourably reacted with the lone-pair electron on the nitrogen atom. The nitrogen atom in MA was photoconverted predominantly into NH4+. No nitrite neither nitrate were detected at pH 3.1 and 5.2 by a contrast of a high production at pH 12. The initial disappearance rates r0 were determined at different UV-A radiant fluxes which could be modelized by the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. It was shown that the rate constant (k) increases with UV-A radiant flux. The efficiency of different UV-A and UV-B radiant fluxes were compared. Whatever the energy of photons (UV-A or UV-B), the same quantum yield equal to 0.033 was obtained considering the ability of TiO2 to absorb UV-A or UV-B radiation.
Graphical abstractAmount of methylamine adsorbed per gram of TiO2 (■, Qe) and initial rate of MA disappearance (, r0) as a function of pH.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Neutral species CH3NH2 are more rapidly degraded than their protonated forms CH3NH3+. ► Nitrogen atom in the MA was photoconverted predominantly into NH4+. ► The rate constant (k) increases with UV-A radiant flux. ► UV-B irradiation is more efficient than UV-A for MA disappearance. ► Whatever the energy of photons (UV-A or UV-B) the same quantum yield was obtained.