With the increasing time people spend indoors, the indoor environment quality draws more and more attention. The concentration of indoor pollutants is usually much higher than outdoors, in which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mold/mildew are both major pollutants and cause many health problems to residents. Efforts devoted from academy and industry to protecting people from indoor environment problems are apparently not sufficient. Photocatalysts, such as TiO2, WO and ZnO, can absorb light photons and react with O2 and H2O to generate highly oxidative radicals, which can oxidize VOCs and disinfect microorganisms. Recently, this photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) technology has been intensively studied to reduce VOCs and disinfect bacteria in the indoor environment. Few papers address the indoor mold/mildew problem, and this research therefore endeavors to do so. The objectives are to evaluate the effectiveness of PCO technology to resist mold/mildew growth and prevent VOC emission from building materials under either UV or visible light irradiation. The models, including linear regression, logistic regression, and numerical model, are also built for interpreting experimental results and for predicting performance in application. The mold/mildew resistance of different PCO gels was examined using accelerated mold/mildew growth agar plate tests. These gels included TiO2 only and TiO2 in combination with H2O2 and with Ag. Without the application of PCO gels, no mold/mildew inhibition was observed from UV (365 nm) or visible light. Under UV light irradiation, the TiO2 gel achieved complete mold/mildew inhibition. Without light, a 12-day delay of mold growth was obtained using the Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel. Under visible light irradiation, the Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel was also the most effective PCO gel with a 8-day delay of mold growth, which, however, was shorter than the same gel in the condition of no light with a 10-day delay due to the light-induced deterioration of the Ag-TiO2. The reduction of VOC emission from PCO gel (TiO2 gel and Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel) coated building materials under UV or visible light irradiation was also confirmed by small chamber tests (the Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel with above 50% reduction of total VOC emission). A linear model was obtained for the Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel in the condition of no light, with respect to the correlation between the delay of mold growth and the gel ingredients. A logistic model was created for predicting the probability of mold growth on different TiO2 gels with different UV light exposure time at different intensities. A numerical model was developed with better accuracy than the previous one for VOC emission from PCO gel coated building materials. This study showed that the PCO gel might be a promising multifunctional material in resisting mold/mildew growth and preventing VOC emission in the indoor environment (The TiO2 gel for complete mold/mildew inhibition and the Ag-TiO2/H2O2 gel for delay of mold growth in emergency situations and reduction of VOC emission from building materials). More stable Ag-TiO2 or other visible-light-driven photocatalysts are needed in future research because of the deterioration of the current one.

This study investigated the decomposition efficiency of acetone using unmodified (pure TiO2) and modified TiO2 (TiO2/ITO¡BTiO2/N) prepared by sputtering technology. The influence of operating parameters including wavelength and relative humidity on the decomposition efficiency of acetone was further discussed. Operating parameters investigated included light wavelength (350~400, 435~500, and 506~600 nm), photocatalysts (TiO2/ITO, TiO2/N, and TiO2), and relative humidity (RH) (0%, 50%, and 100%). In the experiments, acetone was degraded by photocatalysts in a self-designed batch photocatalytical reactor. Samples coated with TiO2 were placed in the batch reactor. The incident light with different wavelength was irradiated by a 20-watt lamp. Moreover, a low-pressure mercury lamp for UV light or LED lamps for blue and green lights were placed on the top of reactor. Acetone was injected into reactor by using a gasket syringe. Reactants and products were analyzed quantitatively by a gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector followed by a methaneizer (GC/FID-Methaneizer). The structure of the photocatalyst film surface showed taper and the width of column ranged from 100 to 200 nm. The film structure showed crystallization cylindrical surface and the thickness of the photocatalyst film was in the range of 4.0-4.3 £gm. The highest decomposition efficiency of acetone was observed by using TiO2/ITO under visible-light with 50% RH. The synthesis of TiO2 was mainly anatase for the tested photocatalysts. AFM images showed that the photocatalyst surface appeared rugged and the shape showed a mountain ridge distribution . Keywords: sputtering technology, modified photocatalysts, photosensitive, acetone, photocatalytic oxidation, acetone decomposition

Photocatalytic oxidation is an alternative water treatment method under consideration for disinfecting water. Chlorine disinfection can form harmful byproducts, and some viruses (e.g. adenoviruses) are resistant to other alternative disinfection methods. Photocatalytic oxidation using nano-sized photocatalytic particles (e.g. TiO2, fullerene) holds promise; however, it is limited by its low efficiency and long required treatment times. This research focuses on improving virus inactivation by photocatalytic oxidation by modifying catalysts for improved activity, by analyzing virus inactivation kinetics, and by elucidating the inactivation mechanisms of adenovirus serotype 2 (AdV2) and bacteriophage MS2. Modifying TiO2 with silver (nAg/TiO2) or silica (SiO2-TiO2) improves the inactivation kinetics of bacteriophage MS2 by a factor of 3-10. nAg/ TiO2 increases hydroxyl radical (HO•) production while SiO2 increases the adsorption of MS2 to TiO2. These results suggest that modifying the photocatalyst surface to increase contaminant adsorption is an important improvement strategy along with increasing HO• production. The inactivation kinetics of AdV2 by P25 TiO2 is much slower than the MS2 inactivation kinetics and displays a strong shoulder, which is not present in the MS2 kinetics. nAg/TiO2 initially improves the inactivation rate of AdV2. SiO2-TiO2 reduces the AdV2 inactivation kinetics since adsorption is not significantly enhanced, as it is with MS2. Amino-C60 is highly effective for AdV2 inactivation under visible light irradiation, making it a good material for use in solar disinfection systems. The efficacy of amino-fullerene also demonstrates that singlet oxygen is effective for AdV2 inactivation. When exposed to irradiated TiO2, AdV2 hexon proteins are heavily damaged resulting in the release of DNA. DNA damage is also present but may occur after capsids break. With MS2, the host interaction protein is rapidly damaged, but not the coat protein. The kinetics of MS2 inactivation are rapid since it may quickly lose its ability to attach to host cells, while AdV2 kinetics are slower since the entire capsid must undergo heavy oxidation before inactivation occurs. Adenovirus inactivation likely occurs through breaching the capsid followed by radical attack of DNA and core proteins.

Photocatalytic oxidation is an alternative water treatment method under consideration for disinfecting water. Chlorine disinfection can form harmful byproducts, and some viruses (e.g. adenoviruses) are resistant to other alternative disinfection methods. Photocatalytic oxidation using nano-sized photocatalytic particles (e.g. TiO2, fullerene) holds promise; however, it is limited by its low efficiency and long required treatment times. This research focuses on improving virus inactivation by photocatalytic oxidation by modifying catalysts for improved activity, by analyzing virus inactivation kinetics, and by elucidating the inactivation mechanisms of adenovirus serotype 2 (AdV2) and bacteriophage MS2. Modifying TiO2 with silver (nAg/TiO2) or silica (SiO2-TiO2) improves the inactivation kinetics of bacteriophage MS2 by a factor of 3-10. nAg/ TiO2 increases hydroxyl radical (HO•) production while SiO2 increases the adsorption of MS2 to TiO2. These results suggest that modifying the photocatalyst surface to increase contaminant adsorption is an important improvement strategy along with increasing HO• production. The inactivation kinetics of AdV2 by P25 TiO2 is much slower than the MS2 inactivation kinetics and displays a strong shoulder, which is not present in the MS2 kinetics. nAg/TiO2 initially improves the inactivation rate of AdV2. SiO2-TiO2 reduces the AdV2 inactivation kinetics since adsorption is not significantly enhanced, as it is with MS2. Amino-C60 is highly effective for AdV2 inactivation under visible light irradiation, making it a good material for use in solar disinfection systems. The efficacy of amino-fullerene also demonstrates that singlet oxygen is effective for AdV2 inactivation. When exposed to irradiated TiO2, AdV2 hexon proteins are heavily damaged resulting in the release of DNA. DNA damage is also present but may occur after capsids break. With MS2, the host interaction protein is rapidly damaged, but not the coat protein. The kinetics of MS2 inactivation are rapid since it may quickly lose its ability to attach to host cells, while AdV2 kinetics are slower since the entire capsid must undergo heavy oxidation before inactivation occurs. Adenovirus inactivation likely occurs through breaching the capsid followed by radical attack of DNA and core proteins.

Environmental pollution on a global scale is expected to be the greatest problem that chemical scientists will face in the 21st century, and an increasing number of these scientists are looking to new photocatalytic systems for the solution. Existing photocatalytic systems are effective for the decomposition of many unwanted organics through the use of efficient semiconductor photocatalysts activated by ultra-violet (UV) irradiation. The demand for visible light activated photocatalytic systems is increasing rapidly. Currently, however, the efficiency and availability of photocatalysts which can be activated effectively by the solar spectrum and especially indoor lighting is severely limited. The purpose of this project is to investigate the potential of a TiO2-ZnFe2O4 alloyed nanocomposite for use as a visible light activated photocatalyst. An overview of the principles of photocatalysis is first provided. Relevant properties of pure and modified TiO2 are next discussed, and results of studies on structural and photocatalytic properties are presented. Alloyed TiO2-ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites are discussed in detail and their crystal structure, particle size, particle interaction, optical characteristics, and photoactivity are discussed in detail. Measurements characterizing the alloys are carried out using XRD, SEM, EDS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and photodegradation procedures. The photoactivity of the alloys is carefully studied through phenol degradation experiments, and recommendations are provided to improve the photocatalysts under investigation.

In this work, a series of simple, rapid and effective photoelectrochemical methodologies have been developed and successfully applied to the study of kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of photocatalytic oxidation processes at TiO2 nanoparticulate films. As an application of the systematic studies of photocatalytic processes by photoelectrochemical techniques, a rapid, direct, absolute, environmental-friendly and accurate COD analysis method was successfully developed. In this work, the TiO2 nanoparticles colloid was prepared by the sol-gel method. The TiO2 nanoparticles were immobilized onto ITO conducting glass slides by dip-coating method. Thermal treatment was carried out to obtain nanoporous TiO2 films of different structures. At low calcination temperature (below 600°C), nanoporous TiO2 films of pure anatase phase were prepared. At high calcination temperature (above 600°C), nanoporous TiO2 films of mixed anatase and rutile phases were obtained. At these film electrodes, the work was carried out. By employing steady state photocurrent method and choosing phthalic acid as the model compound, the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 nanoporous films calcined at various temperatures and for different lengths of time was evaluated. It was found that the films with mixed anatase and rutile phases calcined at high temperature exhibited high photocatalytic activity. Based on semiconductor band theory, a model was proposed, which explained well this finding. By employing linear sweep voltammetry (under illumination) and choosing glucose (an effective photohole scavenger) as a model compound, the characteristics of the photocatalytic processes at nanoparticulate semiconductor electrodes were investigated. Characteristics of the nanoporous semiconductor electrodes markedly different from bulk semiconductor electrodes were observed. That is, within a large range of electrode potentials above the flat band potential the electrodes behaved as a pure resistance instead of exhibiting variable resistance expected for bulk semiconductor electrodes. The magnitude of the resistance was dependent on the properties of the electrodes and the maximum photocatalytic oxidation rate at TiO2 surface determined by the light intensity and substrate concentration. A model was proposed, which explained well the special characteristics of particulate semiconductor electrodes (nanoporous semiconductor electrodes). This is the first clear description of the overall photocatalytic process at nanoparticulate semiconductor electrodes. The investigation set a theoretical foundation for employing photoelectrochemical techniques to study photocatalytic processes. By using the transient technique (illumination step method analogous to potential step method in conventional electrochemistry), the adsorption of a number of strong adsorbates on both low temperature and high temperature calcined TiO2 nanoporous films was investigated. Similar adsorption characteristics for different adsorbates on different films were observed. In all the cases, three different surface bound complexes were identified, which was attributed to the heterogeneity of TiO2 surface. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of the pre-adsorbed organic compounds of different chemical nature was also studied by processing the photocurrent-time profiles. Two different photocatalytic processes, exhibiting different rate characteristics, were observed. This was, again, attributed to the heterogeneity of the TiO2 surface corresponding to heterogeneous adsorption characteristics. The catalytic first order rate constants of both fast and slow processes were obtained for different organic compounds. It was found that for different adsorbates of different chemical nature the magnitudes of rate constant for the slow kinetic process were very similar, while the magnitudes of rate constant for the fast process were significantly affected by the photohole demand characteristics of different adsorbates. Photohole demand distribution that depends on the size and structure of the adsorbed molecules was believed to be responsible for the difference. By employing steady state photocurrent method, the photocatalytic degradation kinetic characteristics of both strong adsorbates and weak adsorbates of different chemical structures were compared at pure anatase TiO2 nanoporous TiO2 films as well as at anatase/rutile mixed phase TiO2 nanoporous film electrodes. At the former electrodes for all the different organic compounds studied, the photocatalytic reaction rate increased linearly with concentration at low concentrations. Under such conditions, it was demonstrated that the overall photocatalytic process was controlled by diffusion and was independent of the chemical nature of organic compounds. However, the linear concentration range and the maximum photocatalytic reaction rate at high concentrations were significantly dependent on the chemical nature of the substrates. This was explained by the difference in the interaction of different organic compounds with TiO2 surface, the difference in their photohole demand distributions at the TiO2 surface and the difference in their nature of intermediates formed during their photocatalytic mineralization. In contrast, at the latter electrodes for the photocatalytic oxidation of different organic compounds the linear ranges (diffusion control concentration range) and the maximum reaction rates at high concentration were much larger than at the former electrodes and much less dependent on the chemical nature of the organic compounds. The spatial separation of photoelectrons and photoholes (due to the coexistence of rutile phase and anatase phase) and the increase in the lifetime of photoelectrons and photoholes are responsible for the excellent photocatalytic activity of the electrodes. By employing the thin-layer photoelectrochemical technique (analogous to the thin-layer exhaustive electrolytic technique), the photocatalytic oxidation of different organic compounds at the mixed phase TiO2 nanoporous electrodes were investigated in a thin layer photoelectrochemical cell. It was found that the charge derived from exhaustive oxidation agreed well with theoretical charge expected for the mineralisation of a specific organic compound. This finding was true for all the compounds investigated and was also true for mixtures of different organic compounds. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of different organic compounds of different chemical identities in the thin layer cell was also investigated by the photoelectrochemical method. Two kinetic processes of different decay time constants were identified, which were attributed to the degradation of preadsorbed compounds and the degradation of compounds in solution. For the degradation of compounds in solution, a change in the overall control step from substrate diffusion to heterogeneous surface reaction was observed. For different organic compounds, the variation of the rate constant was determined by the photohole demand rather than by the chemical identities of substrates. The kinetics of the fast kinetic process, on the other hand, was greatly affected by the adsorption properties of the substrates. For the strong adsorbates, the rate was much larger than for weak adsorbates. However, the rate constant of the process was independent of the chemical identities of the substrates and the variation of the constant was also determined by the photohole demand. Based on the principles of exhaustive photoelectrocatalytic degradation of organic matter in a thin layer cell, a novel, rapid, direct, environmental-friendly and absolute COD analysis method was developed. The method was tested on synthetic samples as well as real wastewater samples from a variety of industries. For synthetic samples with given compositions the COD values measured by my method agree very well with theoretical COD value. For real samples and synthetic samples the COD values measured by my method correlated very well with those measured by standard dichromate COD analysis method.

This study applied sputtering technology to prepare composite film photocatalyst TiO2/ITO for investigating the decomposition efficiency of acetone using composite TiO2/ITO made by single- and multi-layer processes. The influences of operating parameters, including sputtering operating parameters and photocatalytic operating parameters, on the decomposition efficiency of acetone were further investigated. Operating parameters investigated for the sputtering process included oxygen to argon ratio (O2/Ar), temperature, substrate, sputtering dutation, and sputtering layers, while operating parameters investigated for the photocatalytic decomposition of acetone included light wavelength, H2O concentration, O2 concentration, initial acetone concentration, and the type of photocatalysts. In the experiments, acetone was degraded by the composite film photocatalyst TiO2/ITO in a self-designed batch photocatalytic reactor. Operating parameters included light wavelength (350~400 nm, 435~500 nm, 506~600 nm), the type of photocatalysts (single-layer film photocatalyst TiO2/ITO with the thickness of 355.3, 396.6, 437.5, 487.5, and 637.5 nm; double- and triple-layer TiO2/ITO), H2O concentration (0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 ppm). The incident light with different wavelength irradiated with three 15-W lamps of near UV light or LED lamps of blue and green lights placed on the top of the photocatalytic reactor. Acetone was injected into the reactor by using a gasket syringe and vaporized for further photocatalytic degradation on the film photocatalyst TiO2/ITO placed at the bottom of the reactor. Air samples were taken to analyze acetone concentration with a GC/FID. The composite film photocatalyst TiO2/ITO was mainly composed of anatase with a few rutile. The thicknesses of the single- and IV double-layer film photocatalyst with the thickness of 473.5 nm and 506.0 nm, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the highest decomposition efficiency of acetone was obtained by using TiO2/ITO, followed by TiO2/ground glass and TiO2/glass. The highest decomposition efficiency of acetone was observed by using TiO2/ITO at 50¢XC, 20% O2, and 100 ppm H2O. In the kinetic model, the acetone decomposition of single-layer TiO2/ITO was zero-order reaction. The acetone decomposition of double-layer TiO2/ITO in high initial acetone concentration was zero-order reaction, while that in low initial acetone concentration was first-order reaction. Thus, the decomposition of acetone exerted by TiO2 film photocatalyst can be enhanced efficiently by ITO. Under the incidence of blue light, the reaction rate of acetone decomposition were 2.353¡Ñ10-5 and 3.478¡Ñ10-5 £gmole/cm2-s for using single- and double-layer TiO2/ITO, respectively. Finally, a bimolecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model was applied to simulate the influences of initial acetone concentration, temperature, and relative humidity on the promotion and inhibition for the photocatalytic degradation of acetone. This study revealed that the L-H kinetic model could successfully simulate the photocatalytic reaction rate of acetone.

A oxidação fotocatalítica do glicerol (OFG) é uma possível alternativa para aproveitamento do excedente de glicerol proveniente do processo de produção do biodiesel, porém são poucos os registros desta reação na literatura. Neste trabalho, primeiramente foram testadas amostras comerciais de ZnO e TiO2, com o objetivo de identificar e quantificar os principais produtos de oxidação para cada semicondutor. Também foram realizados testes para determinação da influência dos parâmetros reacionais sobre a conversão e seletividade para gliceraldeído (GAD) e dihidroxiacetona (DHA), variando-se as condições experimentais tanto isoladamente quanto simultaneamente, através planejamento de experimentos. Por fim, foram sintetizadas amostras de ZnO visando-se obter uma amostra com melhores resultados em termos de conversão e seletividade para GAD e DHA que a amostra comercial. Os testes fotocatalíticos foram conduzidos em reator batelada (slurry) sob radiação ultravioleta, usando soluções aquosas de glicerol. Os produtos de oxidação foram analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE). Os catalisadores sintetizados foram caracterizados por MEV, área BET, DRX, espalhamento de raios X a baixo ângulo e medidas de Potencial Zeta. Os resultados mostraram que ZnO e TiO2 diferem significativamente quanto à seletividade. O ZnO apresentou maior seletividade para produtos de maior valor agregado, como o gliceraldeído (GAD) e a dihidroxiacetona (DHA), indicando maior contribuição da fotocatálise indireta. O TiO2 apresentou seletividade maior para produtos resultantes da quebra da molécula de glicerol, como o formaldeído e o glicolaldeído, o que indica maior contribuição da fotocatálise direta. Nos testes da influência dos parâmetros reacionais para o ZnO, determinou-se que a conversão é afetada principalmente pelo pH inicial e concentração de catalisador e que a seletividade é afetada principalmente pela temperatura de reação e pH inicial. Em relação às amostras de ZnO sintetizadas em laboratório, nenhuma foi mais fotoativa que a amostra comercial, porém a amostra ZnO-B foi a mais fotoativa dentre as sintetizadas e foi mais seletiva ao GAD do que o ZnO comercial. Pôde-se determinar que o potencial zeta foi a característica mais influente na fotoatividade destes catalisadores, sendo que quanto mais positivo este valor, mais fotoativo o catalisador. Finalmente, em relação às amostras de ZnO com diferentes proporções de planos polares, a amostra com baixa proporção foi cerca de 2 vezes mais fotoativa que a amostra com alta proporção destes planos, o que se opõe aos resultados encontrados na literatura sobre fotoatividade relacionada a planos cristalinos. / The photocatalytic oxidation of glycerol emerges as a potential alternative to contribute to the utilization of glycerol surplus from biodiesel production. However, there are few reports about this reaction in the literature. In this work, as a first approach, commercial samples of ZnO and TiO2 were tested in order to identify the main products for each semiconductor. Next, the influence of the reaction parameters on the conversion and selectivity to glyceraldehyde (GAD) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) was studied through a design of experiments, using ZnO as catalyst. Finally, additional ZnO samples were synthesized as an attempt to obtain a catalyst with conversion and/or selectivity higher than the commercial sample. The photocatalytic tests were carried out in a batch reactor (slurry) under ultraviolet radiation, using aqueous solution of glycerol. The oxidation products were analysed by liquid chromatography (HPLC). The synthesized catalysts were characterized by SEM, BET surface area, XRD, SAXS and Zeta Potential measurements. The results showed that ZnO and TiO2 differ significantly in selectivity. ZnO was more selective to products with higher commercial value (GAD and DHA), indicating greater contribution from indirect photocatalysis. On the other hand, TiO2 showed higher selectivity to products from the cleavage of the glycerol molecule, such as formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde, which indicates greater contribution from direct photocatalysis. In reference to the tests about the influence of the reaction conditions using ZnO, it was found that conversion was affected mainly by the initial pH and catalyst concentration, whereas selectivity was affected mainly by the temperature and initial pH. Regarding the synthesized ZnO catalysts, none of them reached conversion higher than the commercial sample, yet the sample ZnO-B showed the highest selectivity to GAD, even higher than the commercial sample. It was also determined that the zeta potential was the most influential characteristic on the catalyst activity. Finally, regarding the ZnO catalysts with different proportions of polar planes, the sample with low proportion of polar planes was about 2 times more active than the sample with high proportion of polar planes, which contradicts the records found in the literature about this specific topic.

A oxidação fotocatalítica do glicerol (OFG) é uma possível alternativa para aproveitamento do excedente de glicerol proveniente do processo de produção do biodiesel, porém são poucos os registros desta reação na literatura. Neste trabalho, primeiramente foram testadas amostras comerciais de ZnO e TiO2, com o objetivo de identificar e quantificar os principais produtos de oxidação para cada semicondutor. Também foram realizados testes para determinação da influência dos parâmetros reacionais sobre a conversão e seletividade para gliceraldeído (GAD) e dihidroxiacetona (DHA), variando-se as condições experimentais tanto isoladamente quanto simultaneamente, através planejamento de experimentos. Por fim, foram sintetizadas amostras de ZnO visando-se obter uma amostra com melhores resultados em termos de conversão e seletividade para GAD e DHA que a amostra comercial. Os testes fotocatalíticos foram conduzidos em reator batelada (slurry) sob radiação ultravioleta, usando soluções aquosas de glicerol. Os produtos de oxidação foram analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE). Os catalisadores sintetizados foram caracterizados por MEV, área BET, DRX, espalhamento de raios X a baixo ângulo e medidas de Potencial Zeta. Os resultados mostraram que ZnO e TiO2 diferem significativamente quanto à seletividade. O ZnO apresentou maior seletividade para produtos de maior valor agregado, como o gliceraldeído (GAD) e a dihidroxiacetona (DHA), indicando maior contribuição da fotocatálise indireta. O TiO2 apresentou seletividade maior para produtos resultantes da quebra da molécula de glicerol, como o formaldeído e o glicolaldeído, o que indica maior contribuição da fotocatálise direta. Nos testes da influência dos parâmetros reacionais para o ZnO, determinou-se que a conversão é afetada principalmente pelo pH inicial e concentração de catalisador e que a seletividade é afetada principalmente pela temperatura de reação e pH inicial. Em relação às amostras de ZnO sintetizadas em laboratório, nenhuma foi mais fotoativa que a amostra comercial, porém a amostra ZnO-B foi a mais fotoativa dentre as sintetizadas e foi mais seletiva ao GAD do que o ZnO comercial. Pôde-se determinar que o potencial zeta foi a característica mais influente na fotoatividade destes catalisadores, sendo que quanto mais positivo este valor, mais fotoativo o catalisador. Finalmente, em relação às amostras de ZnO com diferentes proporções de planos polares, a amostra com baixa proporção foi cerca de 2 vezes mais fotoativa que a amostra com alta proporção destes planos, o que se opõe aos resultados encontrados na literatura sobre fotoatividade relacionada a planos cristalinos. / The photocatalytic oxidation of glycerol emerges as a potential alternative to contribute to the utilization of glycerol surplus from biodiesel production. However, there are few reports about this reaction in the literature. In this work, as a first approach, commercial samples of ZnO and TiO2 were tested in order to identify the main products for each semiconductor. Next, the influence of the reaction parameters on the conversion and selectivity to glyceraldehyde (GAD) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) was studied through a design of experiments, using ZnO as catalyst. Finally, additional ZnO samples were synthesized as an attempt to obtain a catalyst with conversion and/or selectivity higher than the commercial sample. The photocatalytic tests were carried out in a batch reactor (slurry) under ultraviolet radiation, using aqueous solution of glycerol. The oxidation products were analysed by liquid chromatography (HPLC). The synthesized catalysts were characterized by SEM, BET surface area, XRD, SAXS and Zeta Potential measurements. The results showed that ZnO and TiO2 differ significantly in selectivity. ZnO was more selective to products with higher commercial value (GAD and DHA), indicating greater contribution from indirect photocatalysis. On the other hand, TiO2 showed higher selectivity to products from the cleavage of the glycerol molecule, such as formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde, which indicates greater contribution from direct photocatalysis. In reference to the tests about the influence of the reaction conditions using ZnO, it was found that conversion was affected mainly by the initial pH and catalyst concentration, whereas selectivity was affected mainly by the temperature and initial pH. Regarding the synthesized ZnO catalysts, none of them reached conversion higher than the commercial sample, yet the sample ZnO-B showed the highest selectivity to GAD, even higher than the commercial sample. It was also determined that the zeta potential was the most influential characteristic on the catalyst activity. Finally, regarding the ZnO catalysts with different proportions of polar planes, the sample with low proportion of polar planes was about 2 times more active than the sample with high proportion of polar planes, which contradicts the records found in the literature about this specific topic.

A oxidação fotocatalítica do glicerol (OFG) é uma possível alternativa para aproveitamento do excedente de glicerol proveniente do processo de produção do biodiesel, porém são poucos os registros desta reação na literatura. Neste trabalho, primeiramente foram testadas amostras comerciais de ZnO e TiO2, com o objetivo de identificar e quantificar os principais produtos de oxidação para cada semicondutor. Também foram realizados testes para determinação da influência dos parâmetros reacionais sobre a conversão e seletividade para gliceraldeído (GAD) e dihidroxiacetona (DHA), variando-se as condições experimentais tanto isoladamente quanto simultaneamente, através planejamento de experimentos. Por fim, foram sintetizadas amostras de ZnO visando-se obter uma amostra com melhores resultados em termos de conversão e seletividade para GAD e DHA que a amostra comercial. Os testes fotocatalíticos foram conduzidos em reator batelada (slurry) sob radiação ultravioleta, usando soluções aquosas de glicerol. Os produtos de oxidação foram analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE). Os catalisadores sintetizados foram caracterizados por MEV, área BET, DRX, espalhamento de raios X a baixo ângulo e medidas de Potencial Zeta. Os resultados mostraram que ZnO e TiO2 diferem significativamente quanto à seletividade. O ZnO apresentou maior seletividade para produtos de maior valor agregado, como o gliceraldeído (GAD) e a dihidroxiacetona (DHA), indicando maior contribuição da fotocatálise indireta. O TiO2 apresentou seletividade maior para produtos resultantes da quebra da molécula de glicerol, como o formaldeído e o glicolaldeído, o que indica maior contribuição da fotocatálise direta. Nos testes da influência dos parâmetros reacionais para o ZnO, determinou-se que a conversão é afetada principalmente pelo pH inicial e concentração de catalisador e que a seletividade é afetada principalmente pela temperatura de reação e pH inicial. Em relação às amostras de ZnO sintetizadas em laboratório, nenhuma foi mais fotoativa que a amostra comercial, porém a amostra ZnO-B foi a mais fotoativa dentre as sintetizadas e foi mais seletiva ao GAD do que o ZnO comercial. Pôde-se determinar que o potencial zeta foi a característica mais influente na fotoatividade destes catalisadores, sendo que quanto mais positivo este valor, mais fotoativo o catalisador. Finalmente, em relação às amostras de ZnO com diferentes proporções de planos polares, a amostra com baixa proporção foi cerca de 2 vezes mais fotoativa que a amostra com alta proporção destes planos, o que se opõe aos resultados encontrados na literatura sobre fotoatividade relacionada a planos cristalinos. / The photocatalytic oxidation of glycerol emerges as a potential alternative to contribute to the utilization of glycerol surplus from biodiesel production. However, there are few reports about this reaction in the literature. In this work, as a first approach, commercial samples of ZnO and TiO2 were tested in order to identify the main products for each semiconductor. Next, the influence of the reaction parameters on the conversion and selectivity to glyceraldehyde (GAD) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) was studied through a design of experiments, using ZnO as catalyst. Finally, additional ZnO samples were synthesized as an attempt to obtain a catalyst with conversion and/or selectivity higher than the commercial sample. The photocatalytic tests were carried out in a batch reactor (slurry) under ultraviolet radiation, using aqueous solution of glycerol. The oxidation products were analysed by liquid chromatography (HPLC). The synthesized catalysts were characterized by SEM, BET surface area, XRD, SAXS and Zeta Potential measurements. The results showed that ZnO and TiO2 differ significantly in selectivity. ZnO was more selective to products with higher commercial value (GAD and DHA), indicating greater contribution from indirect photocatalysis. On the other hand, TiO2 showed higher selectivity to products from the cleavage of the glycerol molecule, such as formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde, which indicates greater contribution from direct photocatalysis. In reference to the tests about the influence of the reaction conditions using ZnO, it was found that conversion was affected mainly by the initial pH and catalyst concentration, whereas selectivity was affected mainly by the temperature and initial pH. Regarding the synthesized ZnO catalysts, none of them reached conversion higher than the commercial sample, yet the sample ZnO-B showed the highest selectivity to GAD, even higher than the commercial sample. It was also determined that the zeta potential was the most influential characteristic on the catalyst activity. Finally, regarding the ZnO catalysts with different proportions of polar planes, the sample with low proportion of polar planes was about 2 times more active than the sample with high proportion of polar planes, which contradicts the records found in the literature about this specific topic.