Enhanced photocatalytic performance of N-nitrosodimethylamine on TiO2 nanotube based on the role of singlet oxygen

Abstract

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) photocatalytic degradation performance and mechanism were investigated on the TiO2 nanotube prepared from anatase TiO2 nanopowder in terms of the production of reactive oxygen species including hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen and superoxide radical. Significantly higher NDMA degradation efficiency was obtained on anatase TiO2 nanotube rather than anatase TiO2 nanopowder. The tubular morphology may be responsible for almost 100% NDMA removal on TiO2 nanotube, presumably due to its confinement effect leading to NDMA molecules within the nanotube being attacked by reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen, and initiating reaction inside the nanotube. In particular, the ability of the nanotubular structure of TiO2 nanotube to promote a singlet oxygen oxidation pathway contributes much to the enhanced NDMA degradation efficiency and favors the formation of dimethylamine and NO3−. Such function originating from nanotube morphology could bring new insights for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.