Semi-empirical study of ortho-cresol photo degradation in manganese-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles suspensions

ABSTRACT: The optimization processes of photo degradation are complicated and expensive when it is performed with traditional methods such as one variable at a time. In this research, the condition of ortho-cresol (o-cresol) photo degradation was optimized by using a semi empirical method. First of all, the experiments were designed with four effective factors including irradiation time, pH, photo catalyst's amount, o-cresol concentration and photo degradation % as response by response surface methodology (RSM). The RSM used central composite design (CCD) method consists of 30 runs to obtain the actual responses. The actual responses were fitted with the second order algebraic polynomial equation to select a model (suggested model). The suggested model was validated by a few numbers of excellent statistical evidences in analysis of variance (ANOVA). The used evidences include high Fvalue (143.12), very low P-value (<0.0001), non-significant lack of fit, the determination coefficient (R2 = 0.99) and the adequate precision (47.067). To visualize the optimum, the validated model simulated the condition of variables and response (photo degradation %) by a few number of three dimensional plots (3D). To confirm the model, the optimums were performed in laboratory. The results of performed experiments were quite close to the predicted values. In conclusion, the study indicated that the model is successful to simulate the optimum condition of o-cresol photo degradation under visible-light irradiation by manganese doped ZnO nanoparticles.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic application of TiO2/magnetic graphene for efficient photodegradation of crystal violet

A magnetized nano‐photocatalyst based on TiO₂/magnetic graphene was developed for efficient photodegradation of crystal violet (CV). Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping were used to characterize the prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized magnetic nano‐photocatalyst was evaluated using the decomposition of CV as a model organic pollutant under UV light irradiation. The obtained results showed that TiO₂/magnetic graphene exhibited much higher photocatalytic performance than bare TiO₂. Incorporation of graphene enhanced the activity of the prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst. TiO₂/magnetic graphene can be easily separated from an aqueous solution by applying an external magnetic field. Effects of pH, magnetized nano‐photocatalyst dosage, UV light irradiation time, H₂O₂ amount and initial concentration of dye on the photodegradation efficiency were evaluated and optimized. Efficient photodegradation (>98%) of the selected dye under optimized conditions using the synthesized nano‐photocatalyst under UV light irradiation was achieved in 25 min. The prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst can be used in a wide pH range (4–10) for degradation of CV. The effects of scavengers, namely methanol (OH^? scavenger), p‐benzoquinone (O₂^?? scavenger) and disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (hole scavenger), on CV photodegradation were investigated.     

Method development and validation for optimised separation of salicylic, acetyl salicylic and ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical formulations by hydrophilic interaction chromatography and response surface methodology

This paper introduces a design of experiments (DOE) approach for method optimisation in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). An optimisation strategy for the separation of acetylsalicylic acid, its major impurity salicylic acid and ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical formulations by HILIC is presented, with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM) and Derringer's desirability function. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to build the mathematical models and then to choose the significant parameters for the optimisation by simultaneously taking both resolution and retention time as the responses. The refined model had a satisfactory coefficient (R2>0.92, n=27). The four independent variables studied simultaneously were: acetonitrile content of the mobile phase, pH and concentration of buffer and column temperature each at three levels. Of these, the concentration of buffer and its cross-product with pH had a significant, positive influence on all studied responses. For the test compounds, the best separation conditions were: acetonitrile/22 mM ammonium acetate, pH 4.4 (82:18, v/v) as the mobile phase and column temperature of 28°C. The methodology also captured the interaction between variables which enabled exploration of the retention mechanism involved. It would be inferred that the retention is governed by a compromise between hydrophilic partitioning and ionic interaction. The optimised method was further validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to linearity and range, precision, accuracy, specificity and sensitivity. The robustness of the method was also determined and confirmed by overlying counter plots of responses which were derived from the experimental design utilised for method optimisation.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and phenol on Fe-doped sulfated titania

Fe-doped sulfated titania (FST) photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity were prepared from industrial titanyl sulfate solution and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry analysis?Cdifferential scanning calorimeter (TGA-DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and nitrogen adsorption?Cdesorption techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the FST photocatalyst was evaluated using the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and the photooxidation of phenol in aqueous solutions in the presence of UV irradiation, respectively. The effect of various parameters, such as calcining temperature, calcination time, initial concentration of substrate, amount of catalyst and pH value on the photocatalytic activity of FST photocatalyst was investigated. Among the parameters studied, calcining temperature, initial concentration of substrate, and amount of catalyst have a very similar effect on the activity of FST photocatalyst for both the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, while the others have distinct differences. The optimal calcination conditions were 500?°C, 1.5?h and 650?°C, 2.5?h; the optimal catalyst concentration were 1.0 and 1.2?g?L^?1; the optimal pH values were 8 and 4 for the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, respectively. In addition, the mechanism for the high photocatalytic efficiency of FST photocatalyst has also been put forward.     

TiO2光催化降解胸腺嘧啶的动力学和机理

考察了用于降解来自嘧啶家族的一种核酸—胸腺嘧啶(C5H6N2O2)的高级氧化过程。结果发现,在光催化剂TiO2作用下,胸腺嘧啶的光降解进行得很快,且在紫外光照射和水溶液中时更为明显。研究了胸腺嘧啶在TiO2催化剂上的吸附、降解动力学、以及pH值对光催化降解胸腺嘧啶性能的影响。另外,考察了胸腺嘧啶降解产物的矿化;比较和讨论了在光催化过程中胸腺嘧啶的消失和矿化速率。同时还研究了氮的矿化,确立了中间产物的识别方法。最后,采用电子密度计算提出了在紫外光照射下TiO2催化剂上胸腺嘧啶降解的可能化学途径。     

The effects of some operational parameters in photodegradation of benzylamine and aniline and their kinetics in aqueous suspension of TiO2 and Pt -loaded TiO2

Photocatalytic degradation of benzylamine and aniline on TiO2, Pt-modified TiO2, ZnO and ZnS in aqueous solution has been investigated. The degradation of the compounds follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics according to Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The degradation process of benzylamine and aniline was evaluated by ninhydrin spectrophotometric method using UV-visible spectrophotometer in lambda(max) = 538 and 525 nm, respectively. The results showed the order of Pt/TiO2 > TiO2 > ZnO > ZnS for photocatalytic activity. In addition increasing of the Pt-loading was found to enhance the degradation rate of the compounds up to the optimal amount of 5 wt. % onto the surface of TiO2 so that the rates of degradation were increased about two times. Rate constants for photodegradation of benzylamine and aniline were found to be 1.4 x 10(-3) min(-1) and 0.7 x 10(-3) min(-1) for TiO2 as photocatalyst, while 2.7 x 10(-3) min(-1) and 1.7 x 10(-3) min(-1) for (5 wt.%) Pt/TiO2 as photocatalyst. Running the reactions in various pH (5-11), indicated that the pH = 8 and 10 or Higher are the optimum pH for photocatalytic degradation of benzylamine and aniline respectively. The effects of some other parameters such as amount of photocatalyst, flux of oxygen and irradiation time were evaluated. Furthermore, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate constant k(r) and adsorption constant K(A) for the titled compounds are reported.     

Photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes catalyzed by Ag doped TiO2 photocatalyst

In this paper, photocatalytic degradation of commercial textile azo dyes catalyzed by titanium dioxide and modified titanium dioxide with Ag metal (1% w/w) in aqueous solution under irradiation with a 400 W high-pressure mercury lamp is reported. The effect of various parameters such as irradiation time of UV light, amount of photocatalyst, flow rate of oxygen, pH and temperature for the Ag-TiO₂ photocatalyst were investigated. Kinetic investigations of photodegradation indicated that reactions obey improved Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and pseudo-first-order law. The rate constant studies of photocatalytic degradation reactions for Ag-TiO₂ and TiO₂ photocatalysts indicated that in all cases the rate constant of the reaction for Ag-TiO₂ was higher than that of TiO₂.     

Statistical analysis and optimization of photodegradation efficiency of methyl orange from aqueous solution using cellulose/zinc oxide hybrid aerogel by response surface methodology (RSM)

The photodegradation efficiency of cellulose-X/zinc oxide-Y (CA-X/ZnO-Y) aerogels was studied to degrade methyl orange (MO) as an organic dye pollutant from an aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. In this study, the initial pH of the solution (3, 7, and 11), the photocatalyst dosage (3, 6, and 9 g L^-1), the initial concentration of solution MO (10, 20, and 30 ppm), and the concentration of cellulose in CA-X/ZnO-Y hybrid aerogel (3, 6, and 9 wt%) were selected as four variable parameters, whereas the photoderadation performance was selected as the response. Moreover, the response surface methodology (RSM) analysis was carried out to investigate the influence of four various experimental factors at different times on the degradation of MO. The adequacy result of the proposed models displays that total of the proposed models can predict the photodegradation efficiency of MO by CA-x/ZnO-y aerogel. The optimization results of the process showed that pH = 3 and concentration of MO = 10 ppm, photocatalyst dosage (9 g L^-1), and MCC concentration (9 g) are the optimal level of the studied parameters. Also, the results showed that desirability of 0.96 confirms the acceptance and applicability of the model where the RSM model is a helpful technique for the optimum conditions design.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange over metalloporphyrins supported on TiO2 Degussa P25

The photocatalytic activity of meso-tetraphenylporphyrins with different metal centers (Fe, Co, Mn and Cu) adsorbed on TiO(2) (Degussa P25) surface has been investigated by carrying out the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible and ultraviolet light irradiation. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance UV (DRS-UV-vis) and infrared spectra. Copper porphyrin-sensitized TiO(2) photocatalyst (CuP-TiO(2)) showed excellent activity for the photodegradation of MO whether under visible or ultraviolet light irradiation. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) charges analysis showed that methyl orange ion is adsorbed easier by CuP-TiO(2) catalyst due to the increase of induced interactions.     

Sonophotocatalytic treatment of diazinon using visible light‐driven Ce:Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH2 photocatalyst in a batch‐mode process: Response surface methodology and optimization

Cu–1,4‐benzenedioxyacetic acid (Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂) with a narrow band gap (2.52 eV) was synthesized and doped with Ce to afford Ce:Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂ as an efficient photocatalyst with narrower band gap (2.39 eV). The prepared Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂ and Ce:Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂ were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, diffuse reflectance spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The sonophotocatalytic degradation of diazinon was carried out in a batch‐mode reactor using visible light‐driven Ce:Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂ photocatalyst as well as ultrasonic irradiation. The narrow band gap of the photocatalyst means that it can be activated under visible light illumination. The effects of operational parameters such as initial diazinon concentration (5–25 mg l^?1), pH (2–10), photocatalyst dosage (10–30 mg) and irradiation time (10–30 min) on the sonophotocatalytic degradation efficiency were investigated using central composite design under response surface methodology. The optimization process was studied using desirability function and the results indicated 99.8% degradation, which was obtained at optimum values of 25 mg l^?1, 6, 20 mg and 20 min for the initial concentration of diazinon, pH, photocatalyst dosage and irradiation time, respectively. Reusability experiments of Ce:Cu‐1,4‐BDOAH₂ photocatalyst showed that it is quite stable with excellent catalytic activity even after five cycles.     

ZnS光催化剂对不同偶氮类染料光降解的光催化性能的比较

在表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)存在时,合成了ZnS光催化剂。 采用X射线衍射和透射电子显微镜等测试技术结果表明,制得的ZnS粒子尺寸均一,无团聚现象,平均粒径约为3.5 nm。 研究了ZnS光催化剂在紫外光下对不同染料的光催化降解效率,结果表明,ZnS光催化剂对一些含-N=N-基团的偶氮类染料,如甲基橙(MO)、酸性嫩黄(AY)、酸性橙Ⅱ(AOⅡ)光催化降解效率高达88％以上,甲基红(MR)的光催化降解效率也达59.63%。 表明-N=N-基团容易降解。 染料分子本身的吸光性也起一定的作用,虽然二甲酚橙(XO)和亚甲基蓝(MB)分子中均不含-N=N-基团,但由于XO的最大吸收峰分布于430 nm的紫外光区,其光催化降解效率可达43.83％,而MB最大吸收峰分布于664 nm可见光区,因此,其光催化降解效率则非常低。     

Photocatalytic degradation of norfloxacin and its intermediate degradation products using nitrogen‐doped activated carbon–CuS nanocomposite assisted by visible irradiation

We have synthesized a nitrogen‐doped activated carbon (NAC) derived from oak using KOH and N₂ thermal treatment at 400 °C as well as CuS nanoparticles. The NAC was decorated with the synthesized CuS to apply as a photocatalyst for degradation of norfloxacin (NOR). Before its application for photodegradation, the adsorbent/photocatalyst structural properties were investigated using X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of NOR was successfully done under visible light using NAC–CuS. The results revealed that the investigated fluoroquinolone degraded very efficiently and pseudo‐first‐order kinetics was adopted for the photodegradation process. In addition, isothermal studies showed that the adsorption process in darkness followed the Langmuir model. The degradation characteristics of the NAC–CuS photocatalyst were studied for 120 min and 15 h under visible light for degradation of NOR, exhibiting a good efficiency for NOR removal. During 120 min of degradation, some intermediate degradation products that can be considered as secondary pollutants were produced. Then, to degrade these pollutants the radiation time was increased up to 15 h. The results displayed a perfect degradation of NOR and its secondary pollutants. The effective variables including pH, degradation time and photocatalyst dosage were optimized and studied in a multivariate method using Design Expert 7. Determination of photodegradation products was carried out using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results are of significance for estimating the environmental fate of NOR in aqueous media.     

Response Surface Methodology: Photocatalytic Degradation Kinetics of Basic Blue 41 Dye Using Activated Carbon with TiO2

Water decontamination still remains a major challenge to some developing countries not having centralized wastewater systems. Therefore, this study presents the optimization of photocatalytic degradation of Basic Blue 41 dye in an aqueous medium by an activated carbon (AC)-TiO₂ photocatalyst under UV irradiation. The mesoporous AC-TiO₂ synthesized by a sonication method was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for crystal phase identification and molecular bond structures, respectively. The efficiency of the AC-TiO₂ was evaluated as a function of three input variables viz. catalyst load (2–4 g), reaction time (15–45 min) and pH (6–9) by using Box-Behnken design (BBD) adapted from response surface methodology. Using color and turbidity removal as responses, a 17 run experiment matrix was generated by the BBD to investigate the interaction effects of the three aforementioned input factors. From the results, a reduced quadratic model was generated, which showed good predictability of results agreeable to the experimental data. The analysis of variance (ANOVA), signposted the selected models for color and turbidity, was highly significant (p < 0.05) with coefficients of determination (R²) values of 0.972 and 0.988, respectively. The catalyst load was found as the most significant factor with a high antagonistic impact on the process, whereas the interactive effect of reaction time and pH affected the process positively. At optimal conditions of catalyst load (2.6 g), reaction time (45 min), and pH (6); the desirability of 96% was obtained by a numerical optimization approach representing turbidity removal of 93% and color of 96%.     

Facile synthesis of ZnO/CuO/Eu heterostructure photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial effluent

Zinc oxide-based ternary heterostructure ZnO/CuO/Eu(1%, 3%, and 5% of Eu) nanoparticles were effectively produced by employing Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)waste skin extract as fuel in a simple one-pot combustion process. The as-synthesized heterostructure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction studies, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Besides, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the as-obtained ternary nanocomposite was evaluated under UV light for the degradation of model organic pollutants including methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine-B (RB), and an effluent sample collected from the textile industrial waste. During this study, the effect of a variety of parameters on the photodegradation activity of the photocatalysts has been thoroughly evaluated, such as light source, catalyst dose, irradiation period, dye concentration, solution pH, etc. Under UV irradiation(100 mins), the ternary ZnO/CuO/Eu photocatalyst demonstrated excellent degradation activity of ～99 and ～93% for MB and RB, respectively, while for the industrial effluent, a decent degradation activity of 42% has been recorded. Further experiments have revealed a pH and concentration-dependent photocatalytic behavior of the heterostructure photocatalyst. Therefore, the results suggest that the heterostructure photocatalyst can be potentially applied for wastewater treatment and other environmental applications.     

Use of titanium dioxide photocatalysis on the remediation of model textile wastewaters containing azo dyes

The photocatalytic degradation of two commercial textile azo dyes, namely C.I Reactive Black 5 and C.I Reactive Red 239, has been studied. TiO(2) P25 Degussa was used as catalyst and photodegradation was carried out in aqueous solution under artificial irradiation with a 125 W mercury vapor lamp. The effects of the amount of TiO(2) used, UV-light irradiation time, pH of the solution under treatment, initial concentration of the azo dye and addition of different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were investigated. The effect of the simultaneous photodegradation of the two azo dyes was also investigated and we observed that the degradation rates achieved in mono and bi-component systems were identical. The repeatability of photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst was also tested. After five cycles of TiO(2) reuse the rate of colour lost was still 77% of the initial rate. The degradation was followed monitoring the change of azo dye concentration by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Results show that the use of an efficient photocatalyst and the adequate selection of optimal operational parameters may easily lead to a complete decolorization of the aqueous solutions of both azo dyes.     

Photo-degradation of methylene blue using Ta-doped ZnO nanoparticle

A photocatalyst of Ta-doped ZnO was prepared by a modified Pechini-type method. The structural, morphological properties and photocatalytic activity of 1 mol % Ta-doped ZnO samples annealed at different temperatures were characterized. The photo-oxidation of methylene blue under the visible-light irradiation followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. It is found that the photocatalysis of 1% Ta-doped ZnO annealed at 700 °C showed excellent performance of the photodegradation of methylene blue, which was attributed to a competitive trade-off among the crystallinity, surface hydroxyl groups, and specific surface area. The processing parameter such as the pH value also played an important role in tuning the photocatalytic activity. The maximum photodecomposed rate was achieved at pH=8, and an novel model about the absorption of methylene blue on the surface of the catalysts was proposed.     

Semiempirical Modeling with Application of Artificial Neural Networks for the Photocatalytic Reaction of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) over Titanium Oxide (TiO2)

The use of chemometric techniques, full factorial and Doehlert experimental designs, multivariate analysis by MANOVA (=multiple‐way analysis of the variance), and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the photocatalytic reaction of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) over TiO₂ in aqueous solution is described. Based on the previous knowledge of the photocatalytic system, variables such as EDTA concentration, photocatalyst concentration, pH, and irradiation time were chosen to build a set of experiments for the analysis. By means of MANOVA, the statistical significance of the individual variables and the inspection of interactions between them were analyzed. By the use of ANNs, correlation plots among variables may help to build a semiempirical modeling for understanding and prediction the behavior of the system, optimizing parameters valuable for further technological applications.     

Fe-Ni 共掺杂 ZnO 的制备及其光催化降解甲基橙活性

 采用溶液法制备了 Fe-Ni 共掺杂 ZnO 光催化剂, 并运用 X 射线衍射、扫描电镜和原子发射光谱等对催化剂进行了表征. 以甲基橙 (MO) 为模型污染物, 评价了样品的光催化活性, 考察了甲基橙初始浓度及其 pH 值, 以及催化剂用量等对光催化反应性能的影响. 结果表明, Fe-Ni 共掺杂降低了 ZnO 的结晶度, 并促进了晶粒的长大. 光催化降解反应表明, Fe-Ni 共掺杂显著提高了 ZnO 光催化降解甲基橙的活性, 当催化剂用量为 0.6 g/L, 经 120 min 紫外光照射时, 可使甲基橙溶液 (10 mg/L) 降解率达到 93.5%. 关键词：铁; 镍; 共掺杂; 氧化锌; 光催化; 甲基橙; 降解     

Photocatalytic degradation of polyhydroxybutyrate films using titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a photocatalyst

Photocatalytic degradation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) polymeric films (30 μm thickness) containing different concentrations of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (λ_max = 313 nm) has been studied. The activity of TiO₂ (0.001-0.005%) as a photocatalyst was determined by monitoring various functional group indices, weight loss in polymeric films and photodegradation rate constant (k _d) with irradiation time. Photodegradation was found to be highly dependent on the TiO₂ nanoparticles concentration and the UV irradiation time. The rate of PHB sample photodegradation was highest when the concentration of TiO₂ was 0.005% (by weight) and lowest when its concentration was 0.001%.

     

Controllable synthesis and visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 fluffy microsphere with hierarchical architecture

Bismuth tungstate (Bi(2)WO(6)) has attracted great research interest as an important visible-light-responsive photocatalyst. In this paper, we report a facile hydrothermal route for the shape-controlled synthesis of micro/nanostructured Bi(2)WO(6), without adding surfactants or templates. The results show that various morphologies of Bi(2)WO(6) including coralloid spherical particles, packed nanosheets, fluffy microspheres, and plates can be obtained by adjusting the pH values of the precursors. The as-prepared porous fluffy microspheres with a hierarchical architecture synthesized at pH 8 exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The photodegradation efficiency reaches as high as 99% within 20 min irradiation. This enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the unique porous structure and high BET surface area of fluffy microspheres with hierarchical architecture.