ABSTRACT
Most literature exploring the effect of added hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in heterogeneous photocatalysis find that the presence of H2O2 increases the rate of degradation of organic species. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has shown considerable promise as a degradation technique for a broad range of organic pollutants, both in aqueous systems and in the gas phase. The preferred catalyst, TiO2, is inexpensive, nonhazardous, and widely available. The near-ultraviolet activation allows solar-driven photocatalysis, and semiconductor oxides in the environment have been suggested to play a role in the environmental fate of some pollutants. In an oxygenated aqueous system, the photogenerated holes are assumed to react with either hydroxyl anions or organic species, while the electrons react with molecular oxygen. M. Gratzel investigated the effect of the inorganic oxidizing agents H2O2, peroxydisulfate, periodate, and bromate on the heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of organophosphorus compounds.
