Journal
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
Volume 74, Issue 1-2, Pages 103-110Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2007.01.016
Keywords
photocatalysis; nitrophenol; surface-modified titanium dioxide
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The surface charge of titanium dioxide (TiO2) affects the adsorption rates of target molecules, thereby influencing the associated photocatalytic dearadation rates of these molecules. This study describes the specific photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with arginine-modified TiO2 (Arg-TiO2) nanoparticles. 4-AP was the only identifiable by-product detected by chromatographic analysis. The terminal amine groups of the arginine monolayer create a positive TiO2 surface charge over a wide range of pH values. At high pH, the degradation rate of 4-NP increased due to improved target adsorption. Furthermore, the presence of the arginine monolayer perturbs the degradation mechanism distribution of 4-NP away front indiscriminant oxidation toward selective reduction. Photocatalysis of a target molecule such as benzenesulfonic acid (BSA) showed that while electrostatic attraction of the target to the photocatalyst is important, the reduction potential of the target molecule dictates efficient degradation on Arg-TiO2. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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