ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Exploring the Photodegradation of Bisphenol A
in a Sunlight/Immobilized N-TiO2 System
Chao-Yin Kuo, Ya-Hui Yang
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Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology,
123 University Road, Section 3, Douliou, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(2):379-384
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ABSTRACT
Few studies have examined the photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by sunlight/immobilized TiO2
systems. In this investigation, N-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) was prepared by the calcination of Degussa P25 and
urea. The surface characteristics of N-TiO2 were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, specific surface area analysis,
ultraviolent (UV)-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity of the prepared
photocatalysts was determined by using them in the photodegradation of BPA under sunlight irradiation. The
N-doping of TiO2 reduced the particle size and band gap of the compound, while increasing the specific surface
area and percentage of anatase therein. XPS characterization confirms the substitution of O in the crystal
lattice for N species in N-TiO2, forming O-Ti-N. The BPA degradation rate can be approximated by pseudofirst-
order kinetics. At a N/Ti mole ratio of one for N-TiO2, the rates of BPA photodegradation and mineralization
were 0.042 and 0.006 min-1, respectively.