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Reaction Mechanism and Degradation Pathway of Rhodamine 6G by Photocatalytic Treatment

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Abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of a cationic dye, rhodamine 6G (Rh-6G) under UV light irradiation was carried out. Rh-6G was completely decolorized in 180 min of photo-oxidative degradation period. The extent of degradation was confirmed performing total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, and up to 90.14%, TOC removal was achieved. Several critical analytical techniques including UV-Vis spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) were employed to scrutinize the mechanistic insights of the dye photodegradation. The degraded N-demethylation intermediates and several small molecular products were qualitatively identified, and a tentative photodegradation pathway was proposed. Toxicological evaluation of the degradation products was carried out three types of cell lines (MTT assay) and Triticum sativum seeds. In conclusion, enhanced biodegradability accompanied by toxicity reduction confirmed the promising efficiency of photocatalysis for Rh-6G degradation and therefore could be used for the remediation of textile effluents.

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Acknowledgements

The technical and analytical assistance provided by the Instrumental Analysis Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China is thankfully acknowledged. The authors are also grateful to the School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China for generously providing human cell lines and for technical assistance in carrying out the cytotoxicity analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Tahir Rasheed

  2. State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Muhammad Bilal, Hongbo Hu & Xuehong Zhang

  3. School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, CP 64849, Monterrey, N. L., Mexico

    Hafiz M. N. Iqbal

  4. National Experimental Teaching Center for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Hongbo Hu

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  1. Tahir Rasheed
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  2. Muhammad Bilal
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  3. Hafiz M. N. Iqbal
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  4. Hongbo Hu
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  5. Xuehong Zhang
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Correspondence to Muhammad Bilal or Hafiz M. N. Iqbal.

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Rasheed, T., Bilal, M., Iqbal, H.M.N. et al. Reaction Mechanism and Degradation Pathway of Rhodamine 6G by Photocatalytic Treatment. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 291 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3458-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3458-6

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