A Comparative Study on Photocatalytic Degradation of Pyridinium – Based Ionic Liquid by TiO2 and ZnO in Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Abstract The photocatalytic degradation of hexylpyridinium bromide (HPyBr) from an aqueous solution was studied by focusing on comparison of the photoactivity of ZnO and TiO2 P25. The process was carried out under different experimental conditions. The results showed that there is no adsorption of pollutant by both catalysts in the dark. The efficiency of P25 Degussa and ZnO photocatalysts were compared, and the photocatalytic kinetics study showed that ZnO is more efficient than TiO2 P25. The HPyBr photodegradation was found to follow a pseudo-first order kinetics, and the higher rates constants were obtained at the alkaline medium for ZnO (pH = 11, kapp = 9.61 × 10–2 min−1) and at acidic medium for TiO2 P25 (pH = 3, kapp = 1.28 × 10–2 min−1). The Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was found suitable to explain the rate constant data for the ionic liquid degradation by both catalysts. The presence of carbonate ions at alkaline medium was found to reduce the HPyBr degradation for ZnO and to enhance the HPyBr degradation for TiO2, this enhancement in TiO2/CO32-/UV system was confirmed by the addition of •OH and hvb+ scavengers. According to TOC and COD results, HPyBr mineralization was faster in ZnO/UV system than in TiO2/UV system.