Evaluation of the water-treatment ability of silica-doped titanium dioxide-coated glass plates using a cationic...

In this study, a photocatalytic plate bound to highly dispersible silica-doped titanium dioxide (SiT) on a trimethoxysilyl-propyldiethylenetriamine (dien)-coated glass plate (dien-plate) was newly synthesized, and was evaluated by a flow analytical (FA) system, which consists of a photocatalytic reactor and a spectrophotometer, to continuously monitor the absorbance of tested chemicals. The method was not required to collect any sample solution at a constant period. The SiT-dien-plate facilitated the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) and indigo carmine (InC) in aqueous solutions. Notably, MB was quantitatively photo-decomposed following 18 h of UV-light irradiation, related to the electrostatic adsorption of surface-bound particles. A water-treatment ability of visible-light-responsive vanadium-modified nitrogen/silica co-doped titanium dioxide fixed on the dien-plate was also evaluated by the FA system. It clarified to decompose MB and InC under visible-light irradiation. Finally, the decomposition of a humic substance dissolved from Middle West China peaty soils by the SiT-dien-plate under UV-irradiation was assessed as applying the FA system with a photocatalytic plate.