Nanocomposites and Nanomaterials

Photocatalytic destruction of prometryn on Tі-containing aluminum foil composites 
Sanzhak O.V.1, Brazhnyk D.V.1, Honcharov V.V.2, Zazhigalov V.A.1
1 Departmen of Heterogeneous Catalytic Oxidation Processes, Institute for Sorption and Problems of Endoecology NAS of  Ukraine, General Naumov Str., 13, Kyiv-03164, Ukraine. 

2 State Establishment, Luhansk State Medical University, Budivelnykiv Str., 32, Rubizhne-93012, Ukraine 
E-mail: milostiprosim@i.ua

The development of the agrochemical industry has dramatically increased in the last few decades due to widespread intensive agricultural activities. Increasing pesticides application and improper wastewater disposal methods are of particular concern for the freshwater (surface and groundwater), coastal and marine environments. 
In this study, the heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of a triazine herbicide, prometryn using Ti-containing composites supported on aluminum foil as photocatalyst has been investigated. Prometryn, (2,4- bis(isopropylamino)-6-methylthio-1,3,5-triazine) is a leafand root-herbicide for general and selective use. Its chemical stability enables it to penetrate slowly through the soil causing a long-term contamination of underground resources of water.
The nanoscale photocatalytic layers with titania on aluminum foil were prepared by low temperature ionic implantation method. The samples were studied by XRD, AFM and SEM-EDX methods.
The photocatalytic properties of the samples in degradation of prometryn in aqueous solutions (1.5×10-6 mol/l) was determined under visible and UV irradiation.
The study was carried out in a cylindrical reactor (9 cm diameter) with a wall-placed 10 cm height sample (implantation on both sides of the foil) and immersed thermostatically controlled radiation source. The source of radiation (high pressure mercury or sodium lamps were used) was placed in reactor center, which permits to implement the investigation in both UV and visible range. The reaction products were analyzed on a SelmiChrom-2 gas chromatograph equipped with an FID on a stainless-steel column (length 3 m, diameter 3 mm) ﬁlled with quartz sand.
It was found that activity of prometryn photocatalytic degradation on Tі-containing aluminum foil composites reached 30%.