title: Photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid over ZrO2, Cu/ZrO2 and Fe/ZrO2 photocatalysts synthesized by sol gel method.
abstract: Photocatalytic oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was performed over ZrO2, Cu/ZrO2 and Fe/ZrO2 catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method. The samples were annealed at 400 degrees C. Textural and electronic characterization was carried out using BET and UV-Vis in order to establish the relationship between surface, pore volume and E(g) with the photoactivity of the materials. The degradation of the acid was followed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The disappearance of the herbicide in solution follows approximately pseudo-first order kinetics. The apparent rate constants were calculated for the three catalysts. The results reveal that Fe/ZrO2 exhibits the best photoactivity for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, A.P 55-534, México DF, 09340 Mexico.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Odriozola
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gonzalez