Manifestation of photocatalysis process variables in a titanium dioxide-based slurry photoelectrochemical cell
- Univ. of Texas, Arlington, TX (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
This paper examines how variables that influence photocatalytic events at ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated TiO{sub 2} particles manifest in the transient response from a slurry photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell. These include the nature of the ambient gas, electrolyte pH and composition, and the presence of hole acceptors in the electrolyte. Unlike the composite photocurrent response observed in previous studies on TiO{sub 2}-based slurry PEC cells, the photoresponse was almost exclusively anodic under the conditions extant in this work. The highest photoresponse was obtained in neutral electrolytes. Both O{sub 2} and Cl{sup {minus}} exerted a complex effect on the photoresponse, depending on the magnitude of the collector-electrode potential. Pulsed photoexcitation of the TiO{sub 2} particles enables decoupling of processes with variant time constants in the slurry PEC cell, such as O{sub 2} adsorption on TiO{sub 2}, adsorption of TiO{sub 2} particles on the collector-electrode surface, and mass transport of TiO{sub 2} particles to the collector electrode. Finally, the influence of three types of environmental pollutants: viz., organic (formaldehyde), inorganic [As(III)], and biological (Escherichia coli), on the slurry cell photoresponse, is discussed.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 465094
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 144, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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