Mechanism of TiO2-assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes under visible irradiation:: Photoelectrocatalytic study by TiO2-film electrodes

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of various dyes under visible light irradiation with a TiO2 nanoparticles electrode has been investigated to reveal the mechanism for TiO2-assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The degradation of both cationic and anionic dyes at different biases, including the change in the degradation rate of the dyes and the photocurrent change with the bias potential, the degraded intermediates, the voltage-induced adsorption of dyes, the accumulation of electrons in the TiO2 electrode, the effect of various additives such as benzoquinone (BQ) and N,N-dimethyl aniline (DMA), and the formation of active oxygen species such as O-2(center dot-) and H2O2 were examined by UV-visible spectroscopy, HPLC, TOC, and spin-trap ESR spectrometry. It was found that the dyes could controllably interact with the TiO2 surface by external bias changes and charging of dyes. The cationic dyes such as RhB and MG underwent efficient mineralization at negative bias, but the N-dealkylation process predominated at positive bias under visible light irradiation. The discolorations of the anionic dyes SRB and AR could not be accelerated significantly at either negative or positive bias. At a negative bias of -0.6 V vs SCE, O-2(center dot-) and dye(center dot+) were formed simultaneously at the electrode/electrolyte interface during degradation of cationic RhB. In the case of anionic dyes, however, it is impossible for the O-2(center dot-) and dye cationic radical to coexist at the electrode/electrolyte surface. Experimental results imply both the superoxide anionic radical and the dye cationic radical are essential to the mineralization of the dyes under visible light-induced photocatalytic conditions.