Photocatalytic degradation rate of oxalic acid on a semiconductive layer of n-TiO2 particles in a batch mode plate photoreactor Part II: Light intensity limit

Abstract

The effect of light intensity, flow rate and oxygen bubbling on the photocatalytic degradation rate of oxalic acid on a layer of TiO2 particles was investigated. At higher concentrations of oxalic acid (≥ 0.005 M) and photon flux intensity in the range 3.26 × 10−10 to 1.07 × 10−8 einstein cm−2 s−1, the rate of photocatalysis was controlled simultaneously by the flux of both oxygen and photons. This is probably caused by the ability of oxygen to react with photogenerated electrons and thus suppress the electron-hole recombination and increase the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation.