title: Photocatalytic degradation of spill oils on TiO(2) nanotube thin films.
abstract: The nitrogen-doped TiO(2) nanotube (N-TNT) thin films were synthesized using ZnO nanorods as the template and doped with urea at 623K. Under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation, the efficiencies for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue is as high as 30%. About 10% of toluene (representing aromatics in the spill oils) in sea water can be photocatalytically degraded under visible light radiation for 120 min. The aliphatic model compound (1-hexadecene) has, on the contrary, a less efficiency (8%) on the N-TNT photocatalyst. On the average, under visible light radiation, the effectnesses of the N-TNT for photocatalytic degradation of model compounds in the spill oils in sea water are 0.38 mg toluene/gN-TNTh and 0.25 mg 1-hexadecene/gN-TNTh. It is expected that spill oils in the harbors or seashores can be adsorbed and photocatalytically degraded on the N-TNT thin films that are coated onto levee at the sea water surface level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Ya
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tung-Li
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Hsiung
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paul Wang
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Yu-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Juu-En
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D004190:Disasters; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010777:Photochemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014050:Toluene / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods; D014965:X-Rays; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014050:Toluene; D014025:Titanium; D015034:Zinc Oxide; D008751:Methylene Blue