Distribution of free radicals and intermediates during the photodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls strongly affected by cosolvents and TiO₂ catalyst

Photocatalytic performance of SiO2@TiO2 spheres in selective conversion of oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline

Selective photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline reactions are investigated by using SiO2@TiO2 spheres produced in a simple route using chitosan as a template. The spheres are predominantly macroporous and, the XRD points out an amorphous crystallographic profile suggesting the uniform distribution of TiO2. Under low-power lighting for 4 hours, the conversions achieved was of the order of 49% and 99% for benzyl alcohol and nitrobenzene, respectively, with selectivity to benzaldehyde and aniline of 99% in both reactions. The study also follows the effects of the solvent and the presence of O2.

Chemical remediation and advanced oxidation process of polychlorinated biphenyls in contaminated soils: a review

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic organic compounds ubiquitously distributed worldwide due to their persistence, long-range atmospheric transport, and bioaccumulation. Owing to teratogenic properties, PCBs are a global environmental problem. Different physical, biological, and chemical techniques are utilized for the remediation of PCBs. This review paper discusses the recent development in photocatalytic and chemical techniques for the remediation of PCBs in contaminated soils. In particular, the photocatalytic degradation of PCBs combined with soil washing, Fe-based reductive dichlorination, and advanced oxidation process (Fenton advance oxidation and persulfate oxidation) is discussed and reviewed in detail. The review suggested that advanced oxidation is an efficient remediation technique with 77-99% of removal efficiency of PCBs. Persulfate oxidation is the most suitable technique which could work at normal environmental conditions (such as pH, temperature, soil organic matter (SOM), etc.). Different environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and SOM affect the Fe-based reductive dechlorination and Fenton advance oxidation techniques. The surfactants and organic solvents used in soil washing combined with photocatalytic degradation affect the degradation capability of these techniques. This review will contribute to PCBs degradation by the detailed discussion of development in chemical technique future perspective and research needs.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of efficient magnetically recyclable core-shell nanocomposites on 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153) degradation under UV-LED irradiation

The congener polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one of the of persistent organic pollutant compounds that increase lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. So, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153), which is one of the most common PCB contaminants in nature, was selected as a model compound to study the photocatalytic degradation of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂ core-shell structure. In this work, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂ nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Then, the effect of parameters such as catalyst dosage, initial concentration of PCB 153, solution pH, amount of H₂O₂, and kind of co-solvent on photocatalytic degradation of PCB 153 by the synthesized nanocomposite was investigated. The high degradation efficiency of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂ nanocomposite, which was 96.5%, was obtained at 4 g/l of the catalysts, 4 ppm of PCB 153, pH 5, 20 mM H₂O₂, 2 h of reaction time, and acetone as a cosolvent. Also, the rate of mineralization for Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂ nanocomposite with H₂O₂ and UV-LED irradiation was 75.3% which had a significant efficiency compared to control experiments. Moreover, the mentioned photocatalysts are possible to be reused through exposing to external magnetic field, with insignificant decrease in the catalytic activity even after 6 cycles. The photocatalytic degradation process has an effective and environmental friendly effect on the degradation of organic pollutants.

Comprehensive exploration of the ultraviolet degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in different media

As one of the most important natural transformation processes, photodegradation deserves more attention and research. In the current work, we comprehensively explored the photochemical behaviors of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in n-hexane (Hex), methanol/water, and silica gel under UV-irradiation. Photodegradation rates were found to be faster in methanol/water than in Hex. All of the three photochemical systems generated sigmatropic rearrangement products. The dominant photodegradation pathways were dechlorination, dechlorination/methoxylation/hydroxylation, and hydroxylation in Hex, methanol/water, and silica gel systems, respectively. Furthermore, some new photodegradation products, such as polychlorinated biphenyl ethers, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenylenes, and methylated polychlorinated biphenyls, are reported for the first time. These findings would provide deeper insight into the phototransformation behaviors of PCBs.

Photodegradation of polychlorinated diphenyl sulfides (PCDPSs) under simulated solar light irradiation: Kinetics, mechanism, and density functional theory calculations

The direct photolysis of 25 individual polychlorinated diphenyl sulfides (PCDPSs) substituted with 1-7 chlorine atoms was investigated using a 500-W Xe lamp. Photolysis of PCDPSs followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, with the higher chlorinated diphenyl sulfides generally degrading faster than the lower chlorinated congeners. A quantitative structure-activity relationship model to predict the photolysis rates of PCDPSs was developed using 16 fundamental quantum chemical descriptors. We found that the substitution pattern for chlorine atoms, the dipole moment, and E_LUMO - E_HOMO were major factors in the photolysis of PCPDSs. The reaction kinetics, products, and photodegradation pathways of 2,2',3',4,5-pentachlorodiphenyl sulfide (PeCDPS) suggest hydroxylation, direct photooxidation, the C-S bond cleavage reaction, and hydroxyl substitution were mainly involved in the photodegradation process, leading to the formation of 13 intermediates, detected by an electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The initial reaction sites of PCDPSs under photolysis were rationalized by density functional theory calculations. Anions (Cl^-, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, and HCO₃^-) and Co²⁺ had no influence on the removal of PeCDPS, while Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, and HA decreased the photolysis efficiency of PeCDPS. This report is the first to develop a logk quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) model of 25 PCDPSs and to describe mechanistic pathways for the photolysis of PeCDPS.

Photochemical formation of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) from decachlorobiphenyl (PCB-209) on solids/air interface

In this work, the photochemical transformation of decachlorobiphenyl (PCB-209) on the surface of several solid particles were systematically evaluated under simulated solar irradiation. The degradation kinetics of PCB-209 were first investigated using silica as a model aerosol particulate. It was found that PCB-209 photodegradation was enhanced at small silica particle size, low surface coverage and low humidity. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and radicals quenching experiments demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals contributed to PCB-209 degradation. Stepwise hydrodechlorination, hydroxyl addition and cleavage of the CC bridge bond were mainly observed in the reaction process, leading to the formation of lower chlorinated PCBs, hydroxylated PCBs (OH-PCBs) and chlorophenols. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculation, the dissociation energy of the CCl bond requires 354.81-359.79 kJ/mol energy that corresponds to a wavelength of less than 322 nm. And the minimum activation energy of OH radicals attack on PCB-209 is only 18.12 kJ/mol. Photochemical transformation of PCB-209 can also occur on the surface of natural particles, but the rates were inhibited as compared to silica. The hydroxylation and hydrodechlorination products of PCB-209 were detected in all natural particles. This study would make significant contribution to understanding the fate of PCBs in solids/air interface.

Insights into the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) over polythiophene/ZnIn2S4 based on different modification processing

Different ˙O₂⁻ and ¹O₂ were generated from blended and surface-modified samples, respectively.

Real-time monitoring of the degradation of Cu(II)-EDTA in H2O2/UV using illumination-assisted droplet spray ionization mass spectrometry

Illumination-assisted droplet spray ionization (IA-DSI) mass spectrometry was developed for in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of photolysis reactions. In IA-DSI, a photolysis reaction occurs on a corner of a cover slip positioned in front of a mass spectrometer, and the generated reaction intermediates are ionized via the corner and are directed to the inlet and analyzed by a mass spectrometer. IA-DSI is contaminant-free, low-cost and simple, and was demonstrated for in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of the degradation of Cu(II)-EDTA in H₂O₂/UV. The reaction times varied from seconds to minutes, and three new reaction intermediates were detected and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. More importantly, the proposed initiation site of Cu(II)-EDTA at the carboxyl group by ∙OH attack was verified for the first time. The degradation of Cu(II)-EDTA occurred through its chemical bonds broken at the carboxyl group, at the amino group, and between EDTA and Cu(II). By sampling in situ and monitoring in real time, IA-DSI provides advantages in simplifying the analysis process for photolysis reaction intermediates and products, and can detect photolysis reaction intermediates and products in less than a second.

Review of chemical and electrokinetic remediation of PCBs contaminated soils and sediments

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are manmade organic compounds, and pollution due to PCBs has been a global environmental problem because of their persistence, long-range atmospheric transport and bioaccumulation. Many physical, chemical and biological technologies have been utilized to remediate PCBs contaminated soils and sediments, and there are some emerging new technologies and combined methods that may provide cost-effective alternatives to the existing remediation practice. This review provides a general overview on the recent developments in chemical treatment and electrokinetic remediation (EK) technologies related to PCBs remediation. In particular, four technologies including photocatalytic degradation of PCBs combined with soil washing, Fe-based reductive dechlorination, advanced oxidation process, and EK/integrated EK technology (e.g., EK coupled with chemical oxidation, nanotechnology and bioremediation) are reviewed in detail. We focus on the fundamental principles and governing factors of chemical technologies, and EK/integrated EK technologies. Comparative analysis of these technologies including their major advantages and disadvantages is summarized. The existing problems and future prospects of these technologies regarding PCBs remediation are further highlighted.