Analysis of organic pollutant degradation in pulsed plasma by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

The degradation of p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) in water was investigated by the coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) method, in which the change of the anti-Stokes signal intensity corresponding to the vibrational transitions of the molecule is monitored during and after solution plasma processing (SPP). In the beginning of SPP treatment, the CARS signal intensity of the ring vibrational molecular transitions at 1233 and 1660 cm−1 increases under the influence of the electric field of the plasma, depending on the delay time between the plasma pulse and the laser firing pulse. At the same time, the plasma contributes to the degradation of p-BQ molecules by generating hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals, which decompose p-BQ into different carboxylic acids. After SPP, the CARS signal intensity of the vibrational bands of p-BQ ceased and the degradation of p-BQ was confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and liquid chromatography analysis.