Preferential photodegradation – why and how?

Abstract

The need to increase the photodegradation rates of toxic materials that may coexist in effluent streams together with less harmful contaminants is discussed. Despite the relatively scarce data on this issue, it is possible to outline several process parameters, such as pH, doping, and type of solvent that may influence photodegradation rates with some specificity. Most of these parameters act through controlling the mass transport of the reactants to the photoactive surfaces. Mass transport control is also the basis for several synthetic approaches for obtaining preferential photodegradation, out of which surface modification by imprinted contaminants, and the ‘adsorb-and-shuttle’ approach, should be considered as methods that may provide high specificity. .