Photocatalytic degradation of phenol and phenolic compounds

With the goal of predicting the photocatalytic behaviour of different phenolic compounds (catechol, resorcinol, phenol, m-cresol and o-cresol), their adsorption and interaction types with the TiO2 Degussa P-25 surface were studied. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied in the adsorption studies. The obtained results indicated that catechol adsorption is much higher than those of the other phenolics and its interaction occurs preferentially through the formation of a catecholate monodentate. Resorcinol and the cresols interact by means of hydrogen bonds through the hydroxyl group, and their adsorption is much lower than that of catechol. Finally, phenol showed an intermediate behaviour, with a Langmuir adsorption constant, KL, much lower than that of catechol, but a similar interaction. The interaction of the selected molecules with the catalyst surface was evaluated by means of FTIR experiments, which allowed us to determine the probability of OH radical attack to the aromatic ring.