http://publicationslist.org/data/meng.chong/ref-18/sdarticle.pdf

Recent Developments in Photocatalytic Water Treatment Technology: A Review

Photoinduced reactivity of titanium dioxide

Fujishima and Honda (1972) demonstrated the potential of titanium dioxide (TiO2) semiconductor materials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a photo-electrochemical cell. Their work triggered the development of semiconductor photocatalysis for a wide range of environmental and energy applications. One of the most significant scientific and commercial advances to date has been the development of visible light active (VLA) TiO2 photocatalytic materials. In this review, a background on TiO2 structure, properties and electronic properties in photocatalysis is presented. The development of different strategies to modify TiO2 for the utilization of visible light, including non metal and/or metal doping, dye sensitization and coupling semiconductors are discussed. Emphasis is given to the origin of visible light absorption and the reactive oxygen species generated, deduced by physicochemical and photoelectrochemical methods. Various applications of VLA TiO2, in terms of environmental remediation and in particular water treatment, disinfection and air purification, are illustrated. Comprehensive studies on the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants of emerging concern, including endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cyanotoxins and volatile organic compounds, with VLA TiO2 are discussed and compared to conventional UV-activated TiO2 nanomaterials. Recent advances in bacterial disinfection using VLA TiO2 are also reviewed. Issues concerning test protocols for real visible light activity and photocatalytic efficiencies with different light sources have been highlighted.

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A review on the visible light active titanium dioxide photocatalysts for environmental applications

The interest in heterogeneous photocatalysis is intense and increasing, as shown by the number of publications on this theme which regularly appear in this journal, and the fact that over 2000 papers have been published on this topic since 1981. This article is an overview of the field of semiconductor photocatalysis : a brief examination of its roots, achievements and possible future. The semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) features predominantly in past and present work on semiconductor photocatalysis; as a result, in the most of the examples selected in this overview to illustrate various points the semiconductor is TiO 2 .

An overview of semiconductor photocatalysis

The absolute energy positions of conduction and valence band edges were compiled for about 50 each semiconducting metal oxide and metal sulfide minerals. The relationships between energy levels at mineral semiconductor-electrolyte interfaces and the activities of these minerals as a catalyst or photocatalyst in aqueous redox reactions are reviewed. The compilation of band edge energies is based on experimental flatband potential data and complementary empirical calculations from electronegativities of constituent elements. Whereas most metal oxide semiconductors have valence band edges 1 to 3 eV below the H2O oxidation potential (relative to absolute vacuum scale), energies for conduction band edges are close to, or lower than, the H2O reduction potential. These oxide minerals are strong photo-oxidation catalysts in aqueous solutions, but are limited in their reducing power. Non-transition metal sulfides generally have higher conduction and valence band edge energies than metal oxides; therefore, valence band holes in non-transition metal sulfides are less oxidizing, but conduction band electrons are exceedingly reducing. Most transition-metal sulfides, however, are characterized by small band gaps (<1 eV) and band edges situated within or close to the H2O stability potentials. Hence, both the oxidizing power of the valence band holes and the reducing power of the conduction band electrons are lower than those of non-transition metal sulfides.

The absolute energy positions of conduction and valence bands of selected semiconducting minerals

Kinetics of photocatalytic oxidation of organic solutes over titanium dioxide

Photo-oxidation of organic material in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide

The photocatalytic oxidation of a related series of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines and other nitrogen- and sulfur-containing organic compounds over a UV-illuminated film of TiO{sub 2} has been studied. The compounds were as follows: n-pentylamine, piperidine, pyridine, phenylalanine, desipramine, thioridazine, penicillamine, isosorbide dinitrate, 4-nitrocatechol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, atrazine, ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, and tetrabutylammonium phosphate. Both ammonium and nitrate ions were formed. The relative concentration of the two ions depended on the nature of the nitrogen in a compound, but was also influenced by the illumination time and concentration of the solute. It was found that for n-pentylamine, piperidine and pyridine, the rate of formation of ammonium ions was n-pentylamine {much gt} pyridine > piperidine. The order of rates of nitrate formation was pyridine = piperidine {much gt} pentylamine. For n-pentylamine the rate of formation of ammonium ions was {approximately}100 times that of nitrate.

Ralph W. Matthews

Papers

Kinetics of photocatalytic oxidation of organic solutes over titanium dioxide

Photo-oxidation of organic material in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide

Formation of nitrate and ammonium ions in titanium dioxide mediated photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds containing nitrogen atoms

Purification of water with near-U.V. illuminated suspensions of titanium dioxide

Photooxidative degradation of coloured organics in water using supported catalysts. TiO2 on sand