Rapid aerobic visible-light-driven photo-reduction of nitrobenzene

Abstract

Many strategies have been proposed to treat wastewater containing toxic contaminants, such as nitrobenzene, prior to discharge. Most of these degradation processes, especially biodegradation, undergo a limited step of nitrobenzene reduction into aniline and a subsequent fast step of aniline mineralization. The low efficiency of nitrobenzene reduction and the requirement of an anaerobic atmosphere limit the overall degradation performance. In this communication, eosin Y is reported as a potential homogeneous catalyst for the rapid photoreduction of nitrobenzene under aerobic conditions. As a result, a conversion (~10 min) of nitrobenzene (25 mg/L) into aniline driven by visible light was achieved. The reduction rate constants under aerobic conditions (0.30 min−1) were even slightly higher than those under anaerobic conditions (0.28 min−1), and the lifetime of the catalytic system was extended. Furthermore, the mechanism of nitrobenzene transformation was speculated based on the identification of intermediate products. To provide guidance for the practical application of this pretreatment strategy, the impact of pH value and widely existing heavy metal ions on photoreduction were also demonstrated. The results from this work provide a novel insight into the integrated control of organic pollutants produced in chemical industries.