Photocatalytic Degradation of a Chlorinated Organic Chemical Using Activated Carbon Fiber Coupled with Semiconductor

A reusable photocatalyst developed based on activated carbon fibre and semiconductor was successfully utilized for degradation of 2, 4 ‐dichlorophenol which is priority pollutant listed by US EPA. Degradation efficiency of 94.3% was achieved when ratio of pollutant to Zn load was 1.37:1. Photogenerated holes were identified to be the prime species responsible for degradation. Leaching of Zn2+ into the solution was found to be 0.199  µg mL−1. Further, seed germination studies proved that ZnO could be used for plant growth. AbstractHydrothermal mediated synthesis was used to couple activated carbon fiber and semiconductor. Batch mode photocatalytic experiments were performed to investigate the efficacy of the developed photocatalyst in the degradation of 2, 4 ‐dichlorophenol. Operational parameters including initial concentration of 2, 4‐dichlorophenol and catalyst loading were optimized at natural pH conditions. Addition of inorganic anions during the degradation revealed that the presence of anions greatly affects the degradation efficiency. The si gnificance of highly reactive radicals on the photocatalytic degradation was identified by the addition of radical scavengers such as isopropanol (OH˙), benzoquinone (˙O2-) and potassium iodide (h+). Reusability of the photocatalyst was confirmed by conducting five cyclic studies. Further, the dissolution of Zn2+ in the solution was analyzed and determined to be 0.199  μg  mL−1. Seed germination study was conducte...

Source: Photochemistry and Photobiology - July 18, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Ashitha Gopinath, Kadirvelu Krishna Tags: Research Article Source Type: research