Chapter 1 - Heterogeneous Photocatalysis: A Promising Advanced Oxidation Process

Abstract

This chapter briefly presents the fundamentals of the processes of heterogeneous photocatalysis (PC). In particular, Langmuir–Hinshelwood and Eley–Rideal models that are often used to model the kinetics of heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions are described together with other models and equations derived. Moreover, some considerations about the dependence of the rate of PC on the light intensity, pH, and photocatalyst modification are done. Methods for photoreactor modeling are described, and the coupling of PC with other advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) using H2O2, O3, and peroxydisulfate is discussed. It is highlighted that coupling different technologies results in a real intensification of the global efficiency only for specific ratios of the rates of the single processes. The suitability of the practical application of the AOPs must be based on a precise process efficiency assessment, which, as the results show, is a challenging but necessary task.