In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of TiO₂ photocatalytic active sites for degradation of trace CHCl₃ in drinking water

Abstract

Toxic disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes (e.g. CHCl3) are often found after chlorination of drinking water. It has been found that photocatalytic degradation of trace CHCl3 in drinking water generally lacks an expected relationship with the crystalline phase, band-gap energy or the particle sizes of the TiO2-based photocatalysts used such as nano TiO2 on SBA-15 (Santa Barbara amorphous-15), TiO2 clusters (TiO2–SiO2) and atomic dispersed Ti [Ti-MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter)]. To engineer capable TiO2 photocatalysts, a better understanding of their photoactive sites is of great importance and interest. Using in situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, the A1 (4969 eV), A2 (4971 eV) and A3 (4972 eV) sites in TiO2 can be distinguished as four-, five- and six- coordinated Ti species, respectively. Notably, the A2 Ti sites that are the main photocatalytic species of TiO2 are shown to be accountable for about 95% of the photocatalytic degradation of trace CHCl3 in drinking water (7.2 p.p.m. CHCl3 gTiO2 −1 h−1). This work reveals that the A2 Ti species of a TiO2-based photocatalyst are mainly responsible for the photocatalytic reactivity, especially in photocatalytic degradation of CHCl3 in drinking water.

Chain Reduction of CHCl3 Photocatalyzed by SPEEK/PVA Films Swollen in Air-Saturated HCO2Na Solutions

“…In the case of CHCl 3 , most studies have focused on achieving the elimination of the chlorocarbon from contaminated water. The photodegradation of CHCl 3 induced by titania particles usually occurs via an oxidation pathway, which proceeds with low efficiencies, in part due to the low chlorocarbon concentration present in relevant samples [16].…”