Abstract:Nitrate is one of the compounds most commonly found in natural water sources due to the infinity and diversity of sources, natural and anthropogenic. Its excess can lead to various damages to health and the environment, however cheap and efficient ways of nitrate contaminated water treatment are not yet a reality. The photocatalysis is one of the ways of nitrate and/or nitrite contaminated aquifer or drinking water sources treatment, which aggregate low cost and efficiency, using ultraviolet (UV) or visible radiation as energy source. Focusing on this form of treatment, new photocatalysts for the reduction nitrogen species such as nitrate and nitrite to molecular nitrogen were synthesized. Titanium dioxide nanowires (Nwires) and titanium dioxide doped with nitrogen and carbon (NCTiO2) were used to support the mono-and bimetallic catalysts. The metals were deposited on the supports surface using the impregnation method. Silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd) were used to produce the monometallic catalysts. The bimetallic catalysts were obtained by deposition of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn) in the priors. The photocatalytic tests were performed with potassium nitrate and formic acid (electron donor) solution prepared in the laboratory, under nitrogen flow, controlled temperature, and using UV radiation source. Both Nwires support as monoand bimetallic catalysts supported on it, did not obtain comparable results to its precursor P25, the deposition of metals practically not improved the photocatalytic activity of the material. The support NCTiO2 proved very effective in the nitrate photocatalytic reduction, with results similar to those of its precursor (Degussa P25, 80% anatase, 20% rutile). The metal deposition 5 % Pd and 2 % Sn, relative to the total weight, in the support NCTiO2 led the complete reduction of the initial nitrate three hours before the best result found with the P25, and 97 % selectivity to N2, the highest among the catalysts studied. The influence of the concentration of the reaction formic acid (electron donor), of the radiation source and the importance of activation of the catalyst with H2 before the test were observed. The reconstitution ability of active sites reducing nitrate and nitrite catalyst was also evaluated, which remained active and with high selectivity to N2 after being reused five times.Keywords: Nitrate; photocatalysis; bimetallic catalysts.
ResumoO nitrato é um dos compostos mais comumente encontrado em cursos d'água devido à infinidade e diversidade de fontes existentes, sejam naturais ou antrópicas. Seu excesso pode levar a diversos prejuízos a saúde e ao meio ambiente, contudo formas baratas e eficientes de tratamento de águas contaminadas com nitrato ainda não são uma realidade. Uma das formas de remediação de aquíferos ou fontes de água contaminadas com nitrato ou nitrito, que pode agregar baixo custo e eficiência, é a utilização da fotocatálise, a qual usa radiação ultravioleta (UV) ou visível como fonte energética para a degradação de nitrato e também de nitrito. Focando ...