Photocatalytic degradation of mecoprop and clopyralid in aqueous suspensions of nanostructured N-doped TiO2

Abstract

The work describes a study of the oxidation power of N-doped and undoped anatase TiO2, as well as TiO2 Degussa P25 suspensions for photocatalytic degradation of the herbicides RS-2-(4-chloro-o-tolyloxy)propionic acid (mecoprop) and 3,6-dichloropyridine-2-carboxylic acid (clopyralid) using visible and UV light. Undoped nanostructured TiO2 powder in the form of anatase was prepared by a sol-gel route. The synthesized TiO2, as well as TiO2 Degussa P25 powder, were modified with urea to introduce nitrogen into the structure. N-doped TiO2 appeared to be somewhat more efficient than the starting TiO2 (anatase) powder when visible light was used for mecoprop degradation. N-doped TiO2 Degussa P25 was also slightly more efficient than TiO2 Degussa P25. However, under the same experimental conditions, no degradation of clopyralid was observed in the presence of any of the mentioned catalysts. When the kinetics of mecoprop degradation was studied using UV light, more efficient were the undoped powders, while in the case of clopyralid, N-doped TiO2 Degussa P25 powder was most efficient, which is probably a consequence of the difference in the molecular structure of the two herbicides. © 2010 by the authors.