Graphite-supportedd TiO2 for 4-Nitrophenol degradation in a photoelectrocatalytic reactor

Amorphous TiO2, prepared at room temperature through a sol-gel method implementing hydrolysis of TiCl4, has been supported ongraphite rods and then annealed at 673 K. In thisway graphitewascompletely covered by a porous anatase TiO2 layer, with an external thickness of about 1m, with graphite pores completely filled by the semiconductor particles. The obtained electrode was structurally characterized by SEM microscopy coupled to EDAX mapping and by Raman spectroscopy. A Pyrex annular reactor was designed in order to test the prepared electrodes for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of 4- nitrophenol, a target pollutant dissolved in aqueous conductive solution. The continuous reactor worked in total recirculation mode and the degradation runs were carried out by applying near UV-light, bias or both energy sources. The influence of flow rate, initial 4- nitrophenol concentration and applied potential on the degradation rate was studied.