Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of the Imidazolinone Herbicide Imazapyr upon UV/Vis Irradiation in the Presence of CaxMnOy-TiO2 Hetero-Nanostructures: Degradation Pathways and Reaction Intermediates

Photosensitized Thermoplastic Nano-Photocatalysts Active in the Visible Light Range for Potential Applications Inside Extraterrestrial Facilities

Among different depollution methods, photocatalysis activated by solar light is promising for terrestrial outdoor applications. However, its use in underground structures and/or microgravity environments (e.g., extraterrestrial structures) is forbidden. In these cases, there are issues related to the energy emitted from the indoor lighting system because it is not high enough to promote the photocatalytic mechanism. Moreover, microgravity does not allow the recovery of the photocatalytic slurry from the depolluted solution. In this work, the synthesis of a filmable nanocomposite based on semiconductor nanoparticles supported by photosensitized copolyacrylates was performed through a bulk in situ radical copolymerization involving a photosensitizer macromonomer. The macromonomer and the nanocomposites were characterized through UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies, gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis. The photocatalytic activity of the sensitized nanocomposites was studied through photodegradation tests of common dyes and recalcitrant xenobiotic pollutants, employing UV-Vis and visible range (λ > 390 nm) light radiations. The sensitized nanocomposite photocatalytic performances increased about two times that of the unsensitized nanocomposite and that of visible range light radiation alone (>390 nm). The experimental data have shown that these new systems, applied as thin films, have the potential for use in indoor deep underground and extraterrestrial structures.

Improving the Imazapyr Degradation by Photocatalytic Ozonation: A Comparative Study with Different Oxidative Chemical Processes

The degradation of imazapyr (C13H15N3O3), an active element in the aqueous solution of commercial herbicide, was investigated. This study was the first to evaluate in a comprehensive manner the efficiency of advanced oxidation processes for imazapyr degradation. Results showed that Imazapyr degradation is significantly affected by operational conditions such as TiO2 concentration, ozone concentration, initial concentration of imazapyr and pH. The kinetics of Imazapyr consumption was the first order with respect to Imazapyr concentration and zero order with respect to ozone concentration with a constant rate of 0.247 min−1 and 0.128 min−1 for photocatalytic ozonation and heterogeneous photocatalysis, while it was the first order with respect to Imazapyr and the first order with respect to ozone concentrations when only ozone was used with a constant rate of 0.053 mol L−1 min−1 at pH 7. The results revealed that more than 90 percent of the removal efficiency representing the elimination of imazapyr was held up to 7 μM. Further increase in the concentration of imazapyr leads to a drop in the removal efficiency, however the total imazapyr degradation was reached in 20 min utilizing photocatalytic ozonation for 5 μM of Imazapyr in the presence of 100 mg L−1 of TiO2, 10 mg L−1 of ozone at pH 7. Photocatalytic ozonation and heterogeneous photocatalysis utilizing TiO2 as a semiconductor process appeared possible and well suited for the treatment of organic contaminants such as imazapyr herbicides, although at certain dosages of pH and common time for wastewater treatment, imazapyr was not degraded with ozonation on its own. The association of two oxidation processes, ozonation and photocatalysis, has improved oxidation efficiencies for water treatment under optimal conditions, leading to the development of non-selective hydroxyl and more reactive radicals in the oxidation medium, as well as the resulting synergistic effects between photocatalysis and ozonation that react more rapidly with imazapyr herbicide.