Photooxidation of 4-chlorophenol sensitized by lutetium tetraphenoxy phthalocyanine anchored on electrospun polystyrene polymer fiber
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Antunes, Edith M , Khene, Samson M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/245787 , vital:51405 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2011.11.005"
- Description: An electrospun polystyrene (PS) fiber incorporating tetraphenoxy phthalocyanine complex of lutetium (LuTPPc/PS) as a photosensitizer was applied for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solution in the presence of visible light. The photocatalytic activity of the LuTPPc in the fiber was compared to that of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) incorporated into the PS fiber, and the former showed higher activity. UV–Vis spectral changes of sample solutions indicated transformation of the analyte with first order kinetics and half-lives that are within one and half hours for LuTPPc/PS. Products identified from the spectral changes and gas chromatography were benzoquinone, hydroquinone and 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenol suggesting that the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol was through both Types I and II mechanisms.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Physico-chemical properties of lutetium phthalocyanine complexes in solution and in solid polystyrene polymer fibers and their application in photoconversion of 4-nitrophenol
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/243520 , vital:51160 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcata.2012.02.010"
- Description: The photophysical and photochemical behavior of two phthalocyanine complexes of lutetium peripherally substituted with tetraphenoxy and tetra-2-pyridiloxy groups were studied in solution and when dispersed in polystyrene polymer fiber. The phthalocyanines were found not to fluoresce significantly in solution and not at all within the fiber matrix as compared with standard unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine. They showed very promising photoactivity in solution with high singlet oxygen quantum yields. Their photoactivity within the polymer fiber matrix was also demonstrated with the photoconversion of 4-nitrophenol, a water pollutant. The photodegradation process with both phthalocyanines follows first order kinetics similar to that observed for the zinc phthalocyanine and the photo-products were found to be hydroquinone, benzoquinone and 4-nitrocatechol.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012