title: Degradation of atrazine in aqueous solution with electrophotocatalytic process using TiO2-x photoanode.
abstract: The present study investigates the efficiency of a sustainable treatment technology, the electrophotocatalytic (EPC) process using innovative photoanode TiO2-x prepared by a magnetron sputter deposition process to remove the herbicide atrazine (ATZ) from water. The coexistence of anatase and rutile were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the presence of oxygen vacancies reduce the value of the observed bandgap to 3.0 eV compared to the typical 3.2 eV TiO2, this reduction is concomitant with a partial phase transition which is probably responsible for the increase in photoactivity. The experimental results with an initial concentration of ATZ (100 μg L(-1)) show that more than 99% of ATZ oxidation was obtained after 30 min of treatment and reaction kinetic constant was about 0.146 min(-1). This good efficiency indicates that EPC process is an efficient, simple and green technique for degradation of pesticides such as ATZ in water. The analysis with liquid chromatography technique permits to identify, quantify and see the evolution of ATZ by-products which are generated by dechlorination, dealkylation and alkylic-oxidation mechanisms. Finally, the possible pathways of ATZ degradation by hydroxyl radicals were proposed.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement), Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada. Electronic address: simon.komtchou@ete.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komtchou
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement), Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada. Electronic address: ahmad.dirany@ete.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirany
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement), Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada. Electronic address: patrick.drogui@ete.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drogui
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications), Université du Québec, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1S2, Canada. Electronic address: delegan@emt.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: Nazar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delegan
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications), Université du Québec, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1S2, Canada. Electronic address: elkhakani@emt.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: My Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El Khakani
authors.affiliation: Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Énergie, l'Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), Université de Strasbourgé, Rue Victor Demange, 57500 Saint-Avold, France. Electronic address: didier.robert@univ-lorraine.fr.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement), Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC, G1K 9A9, Canada. Electronic address: pierre.lafrance@ete.inrs.ca.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lafrance
mesh_terms: D001280:Atrazine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D002384:Catalysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012996:Solutions; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D014025:Titanium; D001280:Atrazine
keywords: Atrazine; Bandgap; By-products; Electrophotocatalytic oxidation; TiO(2−x) photoanode