Photocatalytic degradation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds over TiO2

Economic and environmentally benign technology to remove organic pollutants is highly desired for the sustainable water management to meet the growing clean water demand. This review focuses on the progress of nitrogen-containing organic compounds removal in wastewater by TiO2 photocatalytic degradation during the past 15 years and summarizes the important factors affecting the relevant photocatalytic activity. Photodegradation performance of nitrogen-containing organic compounds with different natures is the result of a strong interaction among pollutant structures, TiO2 properties and photocatalytic reaction conditions. However, the specific function and influence of a given feature for the photodegradation of nitrogen-containing organic compound is difficult to be characterized accurately because some of the above-mentioned parameters are often strongly coupled. It is also clear that for each organic pollutant, a unique set of conditions may be needed for the optimal performance. We also point out some weak points and the further efforts needed in the field. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.