title: Carbamazepine degradation using a N-doped TiO2 coated photocatalytic membrane reactor: Influence of physical parameters.
abstract: Commercial α-Al2O3 photocatalytic membranes with a pore size of 200 and 800-nm were coated with N-doped TiO2 photocatalytic film using a sol-gel technique for concurrent bottom-up filtration and photocatalytic oxidation. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the deposited N-doped TiO2 films are in the form of anatase with 78-84% coverage of the membrane surface. The concentration of N found by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was in the range of 0.3-0.9 atomic percentage. Membrane permeability after coating decreased by 50% and 12% for the 200- and 800-nm membrane substrates, respectively. The impact of operational parameters on the photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the N-doped TiO2-coated membranes was examined in a laboratory flow cell based on degradation of the model micropollutant carbamazepine, using a solar simulator as the light source. The significant gap in degradation rate between flow through the membrane and flow on the surface of the membrane was attributed both to the hydraulic effect and in-pore PCA. N-doped TiO2-coated membranes showed enhanced activity for UV wavelengths, in addition to activity under visible light. Experiments of PCA under varying flow rates concluded that the process is in the mass-transfer control regime. Carbamazepine removal rate increased with temperature, despite the decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; The Hydro-Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Geography and the Environment, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Inna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Horovitz
authors.affiliation: The Hydro-Chemistry Laboratory, Faculty of Geography and the Environment, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Dror
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Avisar
authors.affiliation: The Surface Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: The Surface Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grilli
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Camillo
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: hadasmg@post.tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: Hadas
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mamane
keywords: Ceramic membrane; In-pore degradation; N-doped TiO(2); Photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR); Water treatment