Influence of radiation and TiO2 concentration on the hydroxyl radicals generation in a photocatalytic LEDs reactor : application to dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) degradation
ABSTRACT: One of the main issues associated to the development of photocatalysis is the lack of adequate indexes that allow the comparison of the results obtained in different experimental setup designs. Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants is based on the generation of strongly reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) that attack and oxidize the target compound. Therefore, determining the generation rate and concentration of hydroxyl radicals in the reaction medium is the first step to describe their influence on the photocatalytic degradation and to compare the results obtained under different conditions and geometries.
In this work, using a Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) reactor aimed to maximize the light efficiency and minimize the energy consumption, the •OH concentration has been determined as a function of the radiation and catalyst concentration following an indirect method.
Finally, the methodology has been applied to analyze the degradation kinetics of the anionic surfactant dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS), frequently used in shampoo formulations and detergents for washing machines.Máster en Ingeniería Química “Producción y consumo sostenible
