Effective synthesis of nanoscale anatase TiO2 single crystals using activated carbon template to enhance the photodegradation of crystal violet

Nanoscale anatase TiO₂ single crystals were successfully synthesized using three kinds of activated carbon (AC) templates through a simple sol–gel method. The optimal photocatalyst (T‐WOAC) was obtained using wood‐based AC template. X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses revealed that T‐WOAC possessed a small crystallite size of 8.7 nm and a clear mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic properties of samples were then evaluated through photodegradation of crystal violet (CV). Results implied that the photocatalysts prepared using the AC templates exhibited superior photocatalytic activity to that of the original TiO₂. This enhancement may be due to the small crystallite size, large specific surface area and pore volume of the catalysts prepared with ACs. T‐WOAC showed high photocatalytic activity, CV degradation of 99.01% after 120 min of irradiation and k = 0.03914 min^?1, which is 3.9 times higher than that of the original TiO₂ (k = 0.00994 min^?1). This result can be mainly attributed to the application of WOAC with moderate specific surface area and pore volume to produce T‐WOAC. Alkaline conditions benefitted the photodegradation of CV over photocatalysts. This work proposes a possible degradation mechanism of CV and indicates that the fabricated photocatalysts can be used to effectively remove CV from aqueous solutions.     

Kinetic study on acid‐base catalyzed hydrolysis of azimsulfuron,a sulfonylurea herbicide

Pseudo‐first‐order rate constants (k_obs) for hydrolysis of a sulfonylurea herbicide, azimsulfuron, AZIM®, {N‐[[(4,6‐dimethoxy‐2‐pyrimidinyl)amino]carbony]‐1‐methyl‐4‐(2‐methyl‐2H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazole‐5‐sulfonamide} (AZS) follow an empirical relationship: k_obs =α₁ + α₂[⁻OH] + α₃[⁻OH]² within the [NaOH] range of 0.1–2.0 M at different temperatures ranging from 40 to 55°C. The contribution of α₃[⁻OH]² term is small compared with α₂[⁻OH] term and this turns out to be zero at 60°C. Pseudo‐first‐order rate constants (k_obs) for hydrolysis of AZS within the [H⁺] range from 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.4 M follow the relationship: k_obs = (α₁K _a + B₁[H⁺] + B₂[H⁺]²)/([H⁺] + K_a) where pK_a = 4.37 at 50°C. The value of B₁ is nearly 25 times larger than that of α₁. The rate of alkaline hydrolysis of AZIM is weakly sensitive to ionic strength. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Int J Chem Kinet 31: 253–260, 1999     

Kinetics and mechanism of decarboxylation of aspartic acid with ninhydrin

The kinetic study of the decarboxylation of aspartic acid has been carried out at various [ninhydrin], [H⁺] and at different temperature ranging from 60–95°C. The reaction follows an irreversible first-order reaction path under pseudo first-order kinetic conditions. The variation of pseudo first-order rate constant (k_obs) with ninhydrin concentration was found to be in agreement with equation 1/k_obs = B₁ + B₂/[Ninhydrin]. One mol of carbondioxide evolved from decarboxylation of α-COOH and second mol of carbondioxide comes from the decarboxylation of β-keto acid which is an intermediate and formed during the course of ninhydrin and aspartic acid reaction. On the basis of the observed data, a possible mechanism has been proposed.     

Photophysical and photochemical studies of thifensulfuron-methyl herbicide in aqueous solution

The photophysical and photochemical studies of a sulfonylurea herbicide, thifensulfuron-methyl (THM), have been investigated in a buffered aqueous solution. In the first part, the influence of pH on the spectroscopic properties was studied. This allowed the determination of the ground and excited state acidity constants, pK_a = 4 and 4.4, respectively, thus exhibiting the potential existence of a photoinduced protonation in the singlet state. In the second part, the photolysis kinetics was studied at different pH and varying oxygen concentrations, using an HPK 125 W lamp and followed up by the identification of photoproducts formed under continuous photo-irradiation. The kinetics results suggest that the photolysis process is faster in acidic (k = 3 × 10^?4 s^?1) than in basic medium (k = 9.8 × 10^?5 s^?1). The photolysis products were identified by high performance liquid chromatography HPLC-DAD, HPLC–MS and HPLC–MS–MS. In order to obtain a better understanding of the photodegradation mechanism, a laser flash photolysis study was performed. By comparing the quenching rate constant (k_q = 9.64 × 10⁸ mol^?1 l s^?1) obtained from triplet state quenching by molecular oxygen and from the Stern–Volmer relation (k_q = 0.41 × 10⁸ mol^?1 l s^?1), the role of the singlet state in the photodegradation process was demonstrated. The photoproducts originating from both singlet and triplet excited states have been identified and hypothetical photodegradation pathways of the thifensulfuron-methyl in aqueous solution are proposed.     

Kinetic evidence for the occurrence of general acid-base catalysis in N-methylhydroxylaminolysis of N-ethoxycarbonylphthalimide (NCPH)

Pseudo-first-order rate constants (k_{1 obs}) for the reaction of MeNHOH with NCPH obey the relationship: k_{1 obs}=k^′_b[MeNHOH]_T² where [MeNHOH]_T represents total concentration of N-methylhydroxylamine buffer. The rate constants, k_{1 obs} obtained at different total concentration of acetate buffer ([Buf]_T) in the presence of 0.004 mol dm⁻³ MeNHOH follow the relationship: k_{1 obs}=k_b[Buf]_T. The values of acetate buffer-catalyzed rate constant (k_b) at different pH reveal the occurrence of both general base- and general acid- or general base-specific acid-catalysis in the reaction of MeNHOH with NCPH. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 29: 647–654, 1997.     

Gas‐phase rate coefficients for a series of alkyl cyclohexanes with OH radicals and Cl atoms

The rate coefficients of the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with three alkylcyclohexanes compounds, methylcyclohexane (MCH), trans‐1,4‐dimethylcyclohexane (DCH), and ethylcyclohexane (ECH) have been investigated at (293 ± 1) K and 1000 mbar of air using relative rate methods. A majority of the experiments were performed in the Highly Instrumented Reactor for Atmospheric Chemistry (HIRAC), a stainless steel chamber using in situ FTIR analysis and online gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC‐FID) detection to monitor the decay of the alkylcyclohexanes and the reference compounds. The studies were undertaken to provide kinetic data for calibrations of radical detection techniques in HIRAC. The following rate coefficients (in cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹) were obtained for Cl reactions: k_(Cl+MCH) = (3.51 ± 0.37) × 10^–10, k_(Cl+DCH) = (3.63 ± 0.38) × 10⁻¹⁰, k_(Cl+ECH) = (3.88 ± 0.41) × 10⁻¹⁰, and for the reactions with OH radicals: k_(OH+MCH) = (9.5 ± 1.3) × 10^–12, k_(OH+DCH) = (12.1 ± 2.2) × 10⁻¹², k_(OH+ECH) = (11.8 ± 2.0) × 10⁻¹². Errors are a combination of statistical errors in the relative rate ratio (2σ) and the error in the reference rate coefficient. Checks for possible systematic errors were made by the use of two reference compounds, two different measurement techniques, and also three different sources of OH were employed in this study: photolysis of CH₃ONO with black lamps, photolysis of H₂O₂ at 254 nm, and nonphotolytic trans‐2‐butene ozonolysis. For DCH, some direct laser flash photolysis studies were also undertaken, producing results in good agreement with the relative rate measurements. Additionally, temperature‐dependent rate coefficient investigations were performed for the reaction of methylcyclohexane with the OH radical over the range 273‐343 K using the relative rate method; the resulting recommended Arrhenius expression is k_{(OH + MCH)} = (1.85 ± 0.27) × 10^–11 exp((–1.62 ± 0.16) kJ mol⁻¹/RT) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. The kinetic data are discussed in terms of OH and Cl reactivity trends, and comparisons are made with the existing literature values and with rate coefficients from structure‐activity relationship methods. This is the first study on the rate coefficient determination of the reaction of ECH with OH radicals and chlorine atoms, respectively.     

Reactive kinetics of carbon dioxide loaded aqueous blend of 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol and piperazine using a pressure drop method

In this study, a new pressure drop method has been used to investigate the kinetics of carbon dioxide reaction with aqueous blend of 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol (AEPD) with piperazine (PZ). The blending of a small amount of PZ with AEPD has a significant effect on the observed rate constant, k_obs. It was observed that k_obs values of the blend increased more than twice than the summation of k_obs values of individual alkanolamines. The reaction kinetics in this study were modeled by assuming a termolecular mechanism. The addition of 0.1 mol/L of PZ to 1 mol/L AEPD exhibited an observed rate constant, k_obs of 8824.1 s⁻¹, which is comparable to other alkanolamine mixtures. Hence, PZ/AEPD mixtures can be potentially used for rapid carbon dioxide capture.     

Do oxidations of α-diols by bis(hydrogenperiodato)argentate(III) proceed according to different rate laws?

Oxidation of α-diols, namely ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, and 1,2-butanediol, by [Ag(HIO₆)₂]⁵⁻ is kinetically first-order with respect to the Ag(III) complex. The dependence of observed first-order rate constants k _obs on [α-diol] can generally be expressed by: k _obs = k _x[α-diol] + k _y[α-diol]². Our experimental results demonstrate that the different rate laws derived in the oxidation reactions of ethylene glycol (J. H. Shan et al. Chin. J. Chem. 24:478, 2006) and 1,2-butanediol (J. H. Shan et al. Transition Met. Chem. 30:651, 2005) by the Ag(III) complex are probably not correct. In turn, the reaction mechanisms based on these rate laws should probably be treated with caution.     

Kinetics and mechanism of alkaline hydrolysis of 4‐nitrophthalimide in the absence and presence of cationic micelles

Pseudo‐first‐order rate constants (k_obs) for alkaline hydrolysis of 4‐nitrophthalimide (NPTH) decreased by nearly 8‐ and 6‐fold with the increase in the total concentration of cetyltrimethyl‐ammonium bromide ([CTABr]_T) from 0 to 0.02 M at 0.01 and 0.05 M NaOH, respectively. These observations are explained in terms of the pseudophase model and pseudophase ion‐exchange model of micelle. The increase in the contents of CH₃CN from 1 to 70% v/v and CH₃OH from 0 to 80% v/v in mixed aqueous solvents decreases k_obs by nearly 12‐ and 11‐fold, respectively. The values of k_obs increase by nearly 27% with the increase in the ionic strength from 0.03 to 3.0 M. The mechanism of alkaline hydrolysis of NPTH involves the reactions between HO^? and nonionized NPTH as well as between HO^? and ionized NPTH. The micellar inhibition of the rate of alkaline hydrolysis of NPTH is attributed to medium polarity effect. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 407–414, 2001     

Oxidative degradation of non-ionic surfactant (TritonX-100) by chromium(VI)

Degradation of polyoxyethylene chain of non-ionic surfactant (TritonX-100) by chromium(VI) has been studied spectrophotometrically under different experimental conditions. The reaction rate bears a first-order dependence on the [Cr(VI)] under pseudo-first-order conditions, [TritonX-100]  [Cr(VI)] in presence of 1.16 mol dm⁻³ perchloric acid. The observed rate constant (k_obs) was 3.3 × 10⁻⁴ to 3.5 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and the half-life (t_1/2) was 33–35 min for chromium(VI). The effects of total [TritonX-100] and [H⁺] on the reaction rate were determined. Reducing nature of non-ionic TritonX-100 surfactant is found to be due to the presence of –OH group in the polyoxyethylene chain. It was observed that monomeric and non-ionic micelles of TritonX-100 were oxidized by chromium(VI). When [TritonX-100] was less than its critical micelle concentration (cmc) the k_obs values increased from 0.76 × 10⁻⁴ to 1.5 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. As the [TritonX-100] was greater than the cmc, the k_obs values increases from 2.1 × 10⁻⁴ to 8.2 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ in presence of constant [HClO₄] (1.16 mol dm⁻³) at 40 °C. A comparison was made of the oxidative degradation rates of TritonX-100 with different metal ion oxidants. The order of the effectiveness of different oxidants was as follows: permanganate > diperiodatoargentate(III) > chromium(VI) > cerium(IV).     

Conditions for selective photocatalytic degradation of naphthalene in triton X‐100 water solutions

Naphthalene is degraded selectively in surfactant Triton X‐100 water solutions when treated with disperse TiO₂ catalyst and UV‐B simulated solar light. After complete degradation of the naphthalene, degradation of the Triton X‐100 commences. The pseudo‐first‐order k_obs values obtained for both naphthalene and Triton X‐100 decrease with increasing Triton X‐100 concentration. Experimental rate values fit the Langmuir–Hinshelwood equations. An apparent rate constant for naphthalene degradation k_N = 17.3 ppm min^?1 and an adsorption equilibrium constant k_N = 0.009 ppm^?1 are obtained from a plot of 1/k_obs vs. naphthalene concentration. An apparent rate constant for Triton X‐100 degradation k_T, calculated from a 1/k_obs vs. Triton X‐100 concentration plot of 1.1 ppm/min, was obtained. Therefore, the selectivity observed in naphthalene vs. Triton X‐100 degradation is then due to the favorable naphthalene rate constant degradation that more than balances its unfavorable adsorption equilibrium on the TiO₂ surface. This result is quite important to establish actual experimental conditions for treatment of sites contaminated with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 414–419, 2005     

Kinetic study of the reaction of OH with HCl from 240–1055 K

Absolute rate coefficients for the reaction of OH with HCl (k₁) have been measured as a function of temperature over the range 240–1055 K. OH was produced by flash photolysis of H₂O at λ > 165 nm, 266 nm laser photolysis of O₃/H₂O mixtures, or 266 nm laser photolysis of H₂O₂. OH was monitored by time-resolved resonance fluorescenceor pulsed laser–induced fluorescence. In many experiments the HCl concentration was measured in situ in the slow flow reactor by UV photometry. Over the temperature range 240–363 K the following Arrhenius expression is an adequate representation of the data: k₁ = (2.4 ± 0.2) × 10^?12 exp[?(327 ± 28)/T]cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Over the wider temperature range 240–1055 K, the temperature dependence of k₁ deviates from the Arrhenius form, but is adequately described by the expression k₁ = 4.5 × 10^?17 T^1.65 exp(112/T) cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The error in a calculated rate coefficient at any temperature is 20%.     

Kinetics of oxidation of SCN− by diperiodato cuprate(III) (DPC) in alkaline medium

The kinetics of oxidation of SCN⁻ by DPC has been investigated in alkaline medium. The reaction shows first-order dependence in [SCN⁻]. The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k_obs) changes differently under different [OH⁻]. At low [OH⁻], k_obs decreases when [OH⁻] increases, but when [OH⁻] increases to enough extent, k_obs increases with increase in [OH⁻]. Free radicals were observed in the process of reaction. A plausible mechanism involving Cu(HL)₂ and CuL as active substrates in the reaction has been proposed. The rate equations derived from the mechanism explain all the experimental phenomena satisfactorily. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modulation of mobile phase composition in flow-injection/sequential-injection chromatography exploiting multisyringe flow analysis

In this paper, a time-based multicommutated flow system is proposed for appropriate selection and modulation of mobile phase composition in flow-injection (FI)/sequential-injection (SI) chromatography. The novel flow assembly involves the on-line coupling of a short monolithic reversed-phase chromatographic column with a multisyringe flow injection set-up furnished with a set of solenoid valves. The proposed hyphenated technique was applied to the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of thiamine (B₁), pyridoxine (B₆) and cyanocobalamin (B₁₂) which were taken as model analytes. The separation method capitalizes on a dual isocratic elution protocol involving the use of a single forward stroke of the multisyringe pump for initial delivery of 50 mmol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate (pH 7.0) for 2.4 min followed by 50 mmol L⁻¹ ammonium acetate–methanol (80:20, v/v) for 6.4 min at 0.5 mL min⁻¹ and room temperature. Detection was performed at the maximum wavelength for each target vitamin—280 nm for B₁, 325 nm for B₆, and 360 nm for B₁₂. A first-order, two-level full-factorial design was utilized to ascertain the significant variables influencing the chromatographic separation and the magnitude of the interaction effects. The experimental design method revealed that resolution of the target vitamins is highly dependent on the pH, percentage of organic modifier, and their second-order interaction. The multisyringe flow-injection-based monolithic column separation method, which should be viewed as an expeditious and cost-effective alternative to the high-performance liquid chromatography counterpart, was applied to the separation and determination of B₁, B₆, and B₁₂ in different pharmaceutical dosage forms in less than 9 min. Statistical comparison of the results from the proposed procedure with those from the HPLC method endorsed by the US Pharmacopeia revealed there were no significant differences at the 95 % confidence level.     

Kinetics of the Decomposition of Ferrocenium Ion and Its Derivatives

The first-order kinetics of the decomposition of ferrocenium ion (Fc⁺) and its substitution derivatives have been studied in aqueous sulfuric acid and in the presence of excess Ce(IV) ion. The observed first-order rate constant (k_obs) is expressed as k_obs = k_d for the acyl-substituted ferrocenium ions and k_obs = k_d+ k_ox[Ce(IV)]_o for the unsubstituted and alkyl-substituted ferrocenium ions. Electron-donating alkyl substituents stabilize the ferrocenium ion whereas electron-withdrawing acyl substituents make it less stable. The order of relative stability toward decomposition is 1,1′-dimethyl Fc⁺ ≥ butyl Fc⁺ > 1,1-dimethylpropyl Fc⁺ > Fc⁺ > > formyl Fc⁺ > acetyl Fc⁺ > > benzoyl Fc⁺. A mechanism to interpret the kinetics is also given.     

Salt effects upon the S2O82− + Ru(NH3)5pz2+ electron transfer reaction

A study of the kinetic salt effects on the oxidation of Ru(NH₃)₅pz²⁺ (Pirazinepentaammineruthenium (II)) with S₂O₈²⁻ (Peroxodisulphate) was carried out. The components of the experimental rate constant, k_obs, were separated, and the true (unimolecular) electron transfer rate constant, k_et, is (approximately) obtained. An analysis of the main parameters controlling the variations of k_et, the free energies of reaction and reorganization, is made. Both parameters show a compensating behavior, so there are small variations of k_et and k_obs when salt concentrations change. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 485–490, 1999     

Unusual Rate Enhancement in the Hydroxide-Ion-Catalyzed Cleavage of Acetyl Salicylate Ion (Aspirin Anion) in the Presence of Anionic Micelles

The reaction rate studies on the hydrolytic cleavage of acetyl salicylate ion (AS^-) within the [^-OH] range 0.010-0.025 M reveal AS^- and ^-OH as the reactants. The effects of micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on observed pseudo-first-order rate constants (k_obs) for the hydrolytic cleavage of AS^- have been studied at different [OH^-]. At a constant [OH^-], the rate constants (k_obs) follow an empirical relationship: k_obs = C + F [SDS]_T where [SDS]_T represents total SDS concentration. The magnitudes of C and F increase with an increase in [OH^-]. These data are explained in terms of the pseudophase model of the micelle.     

Influence of the linking chain length on the recombination kinetics of covalently bonded triplet radical pairs and magnetic field effects

Nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique is used to study the formation and decay kinetics of covalently linked triplet radical pairs (RP) formed after photoinduced electron transfer in the series of 21 zinc porphyrin—chain—viologen (Pph—Sp_n—Vi²⁺) dyads, where the number of atoms (n) in the chain increases from 2 to 138. In poorly viscous polar solvents (acetone, CHCl₃—CH₃OH (1 : 1) mixture), the dependence of the rate constant of RP formation on n can be described by the equation k _e = k _e ⁰ n ^–a at k _e ⁰ = 2.95·10⁸ s^–1 anda = 0.8. In the zero magnetic field, the RP recombination rate constant (k _r(B = 0)) is significantly lower than k _e and ranges from 0.7·10⁶ to 8·10⁶ s^–1. The dependence of k _r(B = 0) on n is extreme. The dependence k _r(B = 0) reaches a maximum at n = 20. In the strong magnetic field (B = 0.21 T), the significant retardation of triplet RP recombination is observed. The chain length has an insignificant effect on k _r(B = 0.21 T), which ranges from 0.3·10⁶ to 0.9·10⁶ s^–1. The regularities found are discussed in terms of the interplay of molecular and spin dynamics.     

Kinetics of tartrazine photodegradation by UV/H2O2 in aqueous solution

In the present work, kinetics of tartrazine decay by UV irradiation and H₂O₂ photolysis, and the removal of total organic carbon (TOC) under specific experimental conditions was explored. Irradiation experiments were carried out using a photoreactor of original design with a low-pressure Hg vapour lamp. The photodegradation rate of tartrazine was optimised with respect to the H₂O₂ concentration and temperature for the constant dye concentration of 1.035 × 10^?5 M. Tartrazine degradation and the removal of TOC followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. The much higher k _obs value for tartrazine degradation (7.91 × 10^?4 s^?1) as compared with the TOC removal (2.3 × 10^?4 s^?1) confirmed the presence of reaction intermediates in the solution.     

Micellar and Mixed-Micellar Effects on Alkaline Hydrolysis of tris(1,10–phenanthroline)iron(II): Kinetic Exploration

The kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of tris(1,10–phenanthroline)iron(II) has been studied in the presence of nonionic and mixed nonionic–ionic micellar media at 308 K. The effects of mixed-micellar environments of nonionic with ionic surfactants (C₁₂E₂₃/ATABs and C₁₂E₂₃/SDS) on the hydrolytic rate have been studied. The rate decreases monotonically with an increment of [C₁₂E₂₃]_T (total Brij 35 concentration) at constant [^?OH]₀ and has been discussed with the pseudo-phase micellar model. The rate also decreases with [C₁₂E₂₃]_T at a continuous addition of ionic surfactants (ATABs and SDS). The observed rate constant k_obs follows the empirical relation: k_obs = (k₀ + θK [C₁₂E₂₃]_T)/(1 + K [C₁₂E₂₃]_T) (where θ and K are empirical constants). The values of θ remain unaffected, whereas K decreases nonlinearly with [ATABs]_T in a mixed C₁₂E₂₃?ATAB micellar system. But the k_obs in a mixed C₁₂E₂₃–SDS micellar system is much lower than that of the C₁₂E₂₃–ATAB system and do not comply with any micellar kinetic models.