Gas-phase photocatalytic degradation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in the presence of a nanocrystalline Titania film. Applications to the treatment of cork stoppers

Photocatalytic degradation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole was carried out in the gas-phase in the presence of nanocrystalline Titania deposited as thin film. Efficient photodegradation was achieved by using low intensity Black Light tubes emitting in the near-UV. The illumination intensity was lower than the corresponding solar radiation in the same spectral region. Therefore, solar light may be used for the same purpose. Comparative decomposition by ozonation or hydrogen peroxide treatment gave much lower degradation rates than photodegradation. The procedure may serve to remove 2,4,6-trichloroanisole from cork-stopper storage environments. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.