Treatment of Trichloroethylene with Photocatalyst-Coated Optical Fiber

Abstract

In this present study, we investigated the effect of photocatalyzation on the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the aqueous phase by a photocatalyst-coated plastic optical fiber (POF). Two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with low light intensity were used as the light source and TiO2 and ZnO were used as photocatalysts, which were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The para-chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA) was used as the hydroxyl radical probe for kinetic study and for the calculation of hydroxyl radical conversion rate (ROH,UV ). Experimental results show that POF coated with TiO2 exhibited higher degradation efficiency of TCE in basic solution, but POF coated with ZnO performed better in acidic solution. The increase of coating times resulted in the decrease in degradation efficiency of TCE due to increased thickness of the photocatalyst layer. The enhancement of light intensity contributed to the improvement of photocatalytic treatment efficiency. The ROH,UV for TiO2 and ZnO coated POF increased from 2 × 103 to 8 × 103 M s cm2 mJ−1 and from 8 × 102 to 2 × 103 M s cm2 mJ−1, respectively, as the pH increased from 4 to 10.

Titania-zeolite composite for tetracycline photocatalytic degradation under visible light: A comparison between doping and ion exchange

“…This was due to higher energy and intensity of the solar light as compared to the low power of LED light used (50W). Similar finding was also reported by Chen et al [ 50 ] who reported improved photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene as the power of the LED light increased. In this study by Chen et al, the improvement in the activity of the Titania was justified by the increase in the number of active hydroxide radicals as a result of stronger excitation energy provided by the light.…”

Ag/Cr-TiO2 and Pd/Cr-TiO2 for Organic Dyes Elimination and Treatment of Polluted River Water in Presence of Visible Light

“…It can be due to the in situ production of hydroxyl ions, these ions are responsible for the increase observed in the alkalinity of the liquid phase [ 52 ]. This increase in the pH value can have a positive effect, as several researchers have reported higher photocatalytic efficiency at basic pH values [ 53 , 54 ]. It was also observed that the values of total hardness, chlorides, and nitrates slightly decreased after the photocatalytic treatment.…”

Visible light-activated photocatalytic activity of TiO2–crystal violet based superhydrophobic paint against VOCs in indoor air

“…73% efficiency was observed with the white light of 8 W, as compared to 92% with 24 W. Other researchers also noted the change in photocatalytic performance with the change in light intensity. 29,30 The authors stated that higher intensity is helpful in generating a higher number of radicals. Despite this fact, the photocatalytic performance was found to be decent under the light of lower power.…”