Synthesis of Dendritic Polymer for Hydrogen Peroxide Production and Organic Pollutants Degradation Under Visible Light Conditions

Abstract

AbstractA process for photocatalytically synthesizing hydrogen peroxide while simultaneously degrading organic pollutants is of interest. In this study, a dendritic nanopolymer was synthesized and utilized as a photocatalyst for the production of hydrogen peroxide, which was then used in tandem with the degradation of Tetracycline (TC) and Rhodamine B (Rh B) organic pollutants under a 36 W incandescent bulb. The yield of H2O2 was measured at 8.4 mg g−1 h−1, with photocatalytic degradation rates of 93.90 % for Rh B and 72.92 % for TC. The degradation kinetics of TC and Rh B by the dendritic polymer were found to follow pseudo‐first‐order kinetics, and a higher affinity for degradation was observed for Rh B. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of TC in a Fenton‐like system was attributed to an oxidation system involving hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ions.