Selectivity in photocatalysis by particulate semiconductors

Abstract

AbstractTiO2, Fe2O3, CuO, ZnO, ZnS, Nb2O5, MoO3, CdO, CdS, Sb2O3, CeO2, HgO, Pb2O3, PbO2 and Bi2O3 microparticles exhibit band gap excitation with UV-A light but they are selective to photodegrade phenols. While TiO2 anatase and ZnO photocatalyze the degradation of phenol, o-aminophenol, m-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, o-chlorophenol, m-chlorophenol, p-chlorophenol, o-nitrophenol, p-nitrophenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, catechol, resorcinol and quinol, MoO3 does not photodegrade any of the fifteen phenols. Fe2O3, CuO, ZnS, Nb2O5, CdO, CdS, Sb2O3, CeO2, HgO, Pb2O3, PbO2 and Bi2O3 are selective in photodegrading the fifteen phenols; however, the phenols get adsorbed over all sixteen particulate semiconductors.