Photocatalytic oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone over sol-gel and commercial TiO2 for the improvement of indoor air

Water Sci Technol. 2006;53(11):107-15. doi: 10.2166/wst.2006.343.

Abstract

This work focuses on the photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous methyl ethyl ketone chosen as a typical indoor air pollutant. Two types of TiO coatings were prepared and deposited on glass plates: one using the commercial Degussa P25 TiO2 and the other one by sol-gel method. The first objective of this study was to compare different ways of preparing thin films of sol-gel TiO2 coated on glass plates, taking into account their general aspect and their photocatalytic efficiency. Several parameters were tested, such as the stabilising agent, the glass type of the support, the number of coatings and the calcination temperature. One of the synthesised materials was then kept to carry out the following study. The study aimed to assess the influence of TiO2 coating types on the effect of water vapour. This was achieved by performing MEK photocatalytic degradation kinetics under two levels of humidity at a fixed temperature. Experimental results were then modelled by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. The obtained parameters gave specific trends in function of the considered catalyst. The second part of this work was to identify MEK degradation byproducts during its photocatalytic oxidation. The main detected intermediate was acetaldehyde, followed by methyl formate. A MEK degradation pathway was then proposed.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / analysis*
  • Air Pollution, Indoor / analysis*
  • Butanones / analysis*
  • Catalysis
  • Gels / chemistry*
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Chemical
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Phase Transition
  • Photochemistry / methods*
  • Photolysis
  • Titanium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Butanones
  • Gels
  • titanium dioxide
  • methylethyl ketone
  • Titanium
  • Oxygen