Photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene using titanium dioxide and concentrated solar radiation: chemical effects and scaleup

Photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene (NB) using titanium dioxide (Degussa P-25) as photocatalyst and concentrated solar radiation has been studied. The effects of various factors, such as the presence of anions common in the industrial wastewater, the initial pH and the addition of FeSO4, were investigated. The intermediates detected were o, p,m-nitrophenols and dihhydroxy derivatives indicating that degradation proceeds via .OH radicals. Degradation of NB was studied in three reactors of different diameters to ascertain the effect of photon penetration depth on the degradation.