title: Nanocatalyst support of laser-induced photocatalytic degradation of MTBE.
abstract: This study was undertaken to develop a methodology suitable for the direct removal and degradation of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in water using different nano-catalysts supported laser based photo-oxidation process. For this purpose, nano-structured WO₃ catalyst was synthesized in our laboratory and its photocatalytic activity for the demineralization of MTBE in water was compared with different catalysts such as ZnO, TiO₂, Fe₂O₃ and NiO using 355 nm laser radiations generated by the third harmonic of Nd: YAG laser. The effect of laser irradiation time, amount of catalysts and pH were also investigated for the optimization of MTBE removal process. For 60 min of laser exposure time, the overall percentage of MTBE degradation was found to be 93%, 89%, 82%, 80% and 71% for WO₃, ZnO, Fe₂O₃, NiO and TiO₂, respectively. In addition the photonic efficiencies of different nano-structured catalysts toward degradation of MTBE were estimated, and they were found to follow the trend of WO₃ > ZnO > Fe₂O₃ > NiO > TiO₂.
authors.affiliation: a Chemistry Department & Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CENT) , King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals , Dhahran , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Mohammed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gondal
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D007834:Lasers; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D010777:Photochemistry; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008738:Methyl Ethers; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether