Photocatalytic water treatment with different TiO2 nanoparticles and hydrophilic/hydrophobic layer silicate adsorbents

The degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) was investigated by a combination of TiO₂-based photocatalysis and adsorption. Three combined systems were compared: (i) TiO₂ was intercalated into the interlamellar space of a hydrophilic montmorillonite by means of a heterocoagulation process (TiO₂ pillared montmorillonite, TPM); (ii) TiO₂ was hydrothermally crystallized on hexadecylpyridinium chloride-treated montmorillonite (HDPM-T); (iii) hexadecylpyridinium chloride-treated montmorillonite (HDPM) was used as adsorbent and Degussa P25 TiO₂ as photocatalyst (HDPM/TiO₂).

The process of mineralization of the organic substrate was characterized by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) and total inorganic chloride contents, while the degradation of 2-CP and the formation of intermediates were followed by HPLC. The adsorbent-photocatalyst systems were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements. In all the investigated systems, the degradation of 2-CP was accompanied by a continuous decrease in TOC content. The most advantageous situation was found with HDPM/TiO₂, for which the highest rate of oxidation of 2-CP was observed. In this case the photocatalytically recovered adsorbent may be re-used without further regeneration. A significantly lower 2-CP degradation rate was observed when TiO₂ was fixed on layer silicates. When TPM was applied, only a rather low decrease in TOC content was observed during 10 h of irradiation, i.e. only slight mineralization of the organic pollutant occurred, which is probably due to the low crystallinity and small size of the TiO₂ particles. In the case of HDPM-T, the observed quite high reduction in TOC content shows that the hydrothermally processed TiO₂ sample may compete with the Degussa P25, but the degradation of the organic pollutant is accompanied by a continuous destruction of the adsorbent.