Photocatalytic oxidation of cyclohexanol (1), cyclopentanol (2), and cycloheptanol (3) was investigated by using titanium dioxide (Degussa P25) as a semiconductor photocatalyst .The effect of different operational parameters such as the catalyst, the solvent, time, and oxidant was also studied. Results showed a high percentage of conversion for 1-3 (71.6%, 94.2%, and 100%, resp.) and that the primary photocatalytic oxidation products are the corresponding cycloalkanones (4-6). They were formed with high selectivity (>85%). Several other products were also identified using GC, GC/MS techniques and authentic samples. The photocatalytic activity is explained by a photoinduced electron transfer mechanism through the formation of electron-hole pair at the surface of the semiconductor particles. A first-order kinetic model was observed for the photocatalytic oxidation of the investigated cycloalkanols.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.