Heterogenization of water-soluble porphyrins in Ti/TiO2 nanotubes electrodes: experimental and theoretical insights for atrazine degradation

• Published in: Research on chemical intermediates Vol. 49; no. 12; pp. 5635 - 5654
• Main Authors: Lage, Ana Luísa Almeida, Ribeiro, Juliana Martins, Magalhães, Tairine Fernanda da Silva, de Souza-Fagundes, Elaine Maria, Venâncio, Mateus Fernandes, Brugnera, Michelle Fernanda, Martins, Dayse Carvalho da Silva
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atrazine; Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Degradation; Electrodes; Herbicides; Inorganic Chemistry; Manganese; Nanotubes; Photolysis; Physical Chemistry; Porphyrins; Surface water; Titanium dioxide; Degradation; Catalysis; Porphyrin; Toxicity; Pesticides
• ISSN: 0922-6168; 1568-5675
• DOI: 10.1007/s11164-023-05133-0

Pollutant degradation has been a very important topic in environmental research. The present paper presents an approach to degrade atrazine, an environmentally harmful herbicide that has been widely used in the agriculture industry. Ti/TiO
2
nanotube electrodes modified by porphyrins were prepared for photolysis, photocatalysis, and photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) applications. Manganese- and free base porphyrin were studied, and it was possible to verify the kinetic model more suitable for each system. Unfortunately, Mn-porphyrins had an inhibitory effect on the ATZ degradation activity by Ti/TiO
2
nanotube electrodes. Although the Ti/TiO
2
-free base porphyrin under the PEC experiment (using surface water from a Brazilian river) did not lead to the best degradation system, we could verify the formed products, which have been not described for other porphyrin-mediated atrazine degradation, are equal or more toxic than the original atrazine. We highlight the importance of verifying the products formed in the degradation systems and determining their toxicities.