Photocatalytic degradation of p-chlorophenol by hybrid H2O2 and TiO2 in aqueous suspensions under UV irradiation

In this study, TiO2 particles were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of aqueous p-chlorophenol (p-CP) under UV irradiation. The effect of TiO2 dose (0-3 g/L), initial p-CP concentration, H2O2 concentration (2-45 mM), solution pH (4.6-9.5), and UV light intensity on the degradation of p-CP were examined. Four oxidative degradation processes, which utilized UV alone (direct photolysis), H2O2/UV, TiO2/UV, and H2O2/TiO2/UV, were compared in a batch photoreactor with a 100-W high-pressure mercury lamp. The photodegradation of p-CP could be described by the pseudo-first-order kinetics according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. Moreover, the apparent degradation rate constants increased considerably from 3.5 x 10(-3) min(-1) (direct photolysis) to 19.9 x 10(-3) min(-1) (H2O2/TiO2/UV system). (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.