[Absorption spectra analysis in the degradation process of quinoline in aqueous solution by VUV lights]

The feasibility of monitoring the degradation progress on line by UV-Vis absorption spectra in the degradation process of quinoline in aqueous solution using the low-pressure quartz mercury lamp as vacuum ultraviolet source was evaluated by the monitoring and protracting of the UV-Vis absorption spectra at different time. The characteristic and mechanism of the change in the UV absorption spectra were analyzed by monitoring the concentration of the substrate, COD (chemical oxygen demand), TOC (total organic carbon) and pH value of the solution. It was showed that quinoline occurs in different forms under different pH conditions and consequently causes different UV-Vis absorption spectra due to the N atom in the pyridine ring. In the degradation progress, the UV-Vis absorption spectra were impacted by the degradation rate of the substrates, the production rate of the intermediates and the pH value of the solution. Proton acids were produced as intermediates and make quinoline occur in the form of its conjugated acid. When the increase in the absorption produced by the protonation was equal to the decrease induced by the degradation, the curve of the absorption at 313 nm, the characteristic absorption peak of quinoline, showed a flat in the duration of 1-3 min and then decayed continuously. In addition, the absorption at 254 nm reached a maximum at 5 min and then decayed continuously to nearly 0 at 30 min, when the absorption of the system only occurred in the region of wavelength shorter than 220 nm, indicating that the substrate was degraded completely. The research revealed that UV absorption spectra could be used to monitor the degradation process of quinoline in aqueous solution by VUV lights.