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Semiconductor‐photocatalyzed degradation of carboxylic acids: Enhancement by particulate semiconductor mixture
Author(s) -
Karunakaran C.,
Dhanalakshmi R.,
Gomathisankar P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of chemical kinetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.341
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1097-4601
pISSN - 0538-8066
DOI - 10.1002/kin.20444
Subject(s) - chemistry , oxalic acid , degradation (telecommunications) , oxalate , formic acid , photocatalysis , citric acid , particulates , semiconductor , acetic acid , chemical engineering , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , materials science , optoelectronics , telecommunications , computer science , engineering
Degradation of oxalic acid on particulate TiO 2 , ZnO, CuO, Bi 2 O 3 , In 2 O 3 , and Nb 2 O 5 under UV‐A light exhibits first‐order kinetics, and the degradation rates increase linearly with the photon flux. All the oxides show sustainable photocatalytic activity, and the photonic efficiencies of degradation of oxalate are very much lower than those of the acid. The ease of degradation of carboxylic acids is the following: formic > oxalic > acetic > citric. Intimate mixtures of two different particulate semiconductors kept under suspension and at continuous motion exhibit higher photocatalytic activity, revealing interparticle charge transfer. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 716–726, 2009