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Photocatalytic Cyanide Oxidation from Aqueous Copper Cyanide Solutions over TiO 2 and ZnO
Author(s) -
Peral JosÉ,
Domenech Xavier
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.280530113
Subject(s) - cyanide , photocatalysis , copper , aqueous solution , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , zinc , oxide , electroplating , catalysis , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry , layer (electronics)
The elimination of cyanide from aqueous copper cyanide solutions by oxidation under UV illumination using titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as catalyst has been investigated. The study has been carried out by determining the yield of cyanide elimination at different irradiation times, initial cyanide concentrations and pH. It has been observed that cyanide is photo‐oxidised with higher yields in presence than in absence of copper in solution when TiO 2 is used as photocatalyst, while the opposite behaviour is reported when ZnO is the photocatalyst employed. This fact is related with the feasibility in which copper species are able to react with photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of the TiO 2 particles. Finally, the elimination of cyanide, both free and complexed, from a sample of an electroplating bath has also been studied. The results show that the photocatalytic method is very efficient in the elimination of cyanide in aqueous dilute solutions.