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Visible light-assisted photocatalytic oxidation of organic pollutants using nitrogen-doped titania

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Abstract

An experimental research into the aqueous photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of organic groundwater pollutants, methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), tert-butyl alcohol, phenol, humic substances, 2-ethoxy ethanol and ethylene glycol was undertaken using visible light-sensitive nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts. Nitrogen-doped titania proved to be an effective photocatalyst for MTBE with its action comparable to and even surpassing that of Degussa P25. In contrast, with the other substances the photocatalysts showed negligible activity. This difference was explained by the poor adsorption properties of N-doped catalysts. The predominance of different PCO mechanisms dependent of the surface properties of N-TiO2 catalysts was elucidated.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to Ms. Mai Uibu, M.Sc., the Research Scientist of the Laboratory of Inorganic Materials of Tallinn University of Technology for her generous assistance in BET measurements. The gratitude for the financial support is expressed to the Estonian Science Foundation (grant 5899) and the Academy of Finland (programme “Russia in Flux”, project 208134).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, Tallinn, 19086, Estonia

    D. Klauson & E. Portjanskaja

  2. Department of Chemical Technology, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P. O. Box 20, Lappeenranta, 53851, Finland

    S. Preis

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  1. D. Klauson
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  2. E. Portjanskaja
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  3. S. Preis
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Correspondence to D. Klauson.

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Klauson, D., Portjanskaja, E. & Preis, S. Visible light-assisted photocatalytic oxidation of organic pollutants using nitrogen-doped titania. Environ Chem Lett 6, 35–39 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-007-0109-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-007-0109-y

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