Spiroheterocyclic Photocatalyst for Reducing QHIn-Persistent Pollutants, Dyes, and Transition-Metal Ions Cocatalyzed with Electrolytes

Abstract

The 7-nitro-2′-phenyl-5′,6′,7′,7a′-tetrahydrospiro[indeno[1,2-b]quinoxaline-11,3′-pyrrolizine]-1′,1′(2′H)-dicarbonitrile (SIQPI), 2′-(4-cyanophenyl)-7-nitro-5′,6′,7′,7a′-tetrahydrospiro[indeno[1,2-b]quinoxaline-11,3′-pyrrolizine]-1′,1′(2′H) dicarbonitrile (SIQPII), and 2′-(4-methoxyphenyl)-7-nitro-5′,6′,7′,7a′-tetrahydrospiro[indeno[1,2-b]quinoxaline-11,3′-pyrrolizine]-1′,1′(2′H)-dicarbonitrile (SIQPIII) were used to photocatalyze quinonoid phenolphthalein (QHIn) in aq-ACN-EtOH (mixed solvent) with NaCl and KCl electrolytes. SIQPI, II, and III spiroindenoquinoxaline pyrrolidines (SIQPs) as spiroheterocyclic photocatalysts alone could not reduce QHIn, but with the addition of electrolytes they are reduced via πcationic interactions (PCI). SIQPI, II, and III with NaCl reduced QHIn in 120, 28, and 50 min, unlike in 138, 58, and 63 min with KCl in mixed solvent. SIQPI, II, and III alone have reduced methylene blue (MB) in 120, 45, and 70 min, unlike in 110, 27, and 55 min with graphene oxide (GO), whereas with NaCl and KCl hey are reduced in 82, 36, and 44 min and 89, 43, and 50 min, respectively. SIQPs with GO had reduced MB in less time than the SIQPs alone, and SIQPs with NaCl had reduced QHIn in a shorter time than KCl. The electrolytes have cocatalyzed a reduction of dyes under sunlight (SL). The electrolytes have reduced a quinonoid structure (QS) and dyes by generating negative and positive (e-and h+) holes in a shorter time. SIQPII and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of 58 nm with NaCl photocatalyzed the QHIn in 2880 min. The SIQPs also reduced methyl orange (MO) and brilliant blue R (BBR) at variable temperature (T) and pH range, whereas SIQPs have developed a molecular organic framework (MOF) with transition-metal salts (NiCl2, CrO3, KMnO4, CuSO4, and MnCl2) on photocatalysis.