Formation and Identification of Intermediates in the Visible-Light-Assisted Photodegradation of Sulforhodamine-B Dye in Aqueous TiO₂ Dispersion

Abstract

The photodegradation of dye pollutants under visible light irradiation in TiO2 dispersions continues to draw considerable attention because of the greater effective utilization of solar energy and its potential application in treating wastewaters from textile and photographic industries. To get a better handle on the mechanistics details of this TiO2-assisted photodegradation of dyes with visible radiation, the process was examined by UV-visible spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, silica gel thin-layer chromatography, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric techniques to separate and identify the N-de-ethylated intermediate products during the photodegradation of N,N,N,N-tetraethylsulforhodamine-B (SRB) in the absence and presence of iodide ions. Five intermediates, namely, N,N-diethyl-N'-ethyl-sulforhodamine, N,N-diethylsulforhodamine, N-ethyl-N'-ethylsulforhodamine, N-ethylsulforhodamine, and sulforhodamine were thus identified. They correspond to intermediate products having a different number of N-ethyl groups, which are removed sequentially from the SRB molecule. The reaction process was accompanied by the oxidation of I- to I3- in the presence of I- ions. Formation of radicals was assessed by spin-trap electron spin resonance spectrometry. The experimental results provided the basis for a more detailed description of the reaction mechanism(s).