UV Light-Assisted Degradation of Methyl Orange, Methylene Blue, Phenol, Salicylic Acid, and Rhodamine B: Photolysis Versus Photocatalyis

Methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), phenol (F), salicylic acid (SA), and rhodamine B (ROD) were used as substrates during the photodegradation experiments in the absence and in the presence of nanostructured Ag/titania-silica. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscope high-angle annular dark field (STEM-HAADF), stereological analysis, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. The results were fitted on pseudo-first and pseudo-second kinetic order models. The film diffusion was also determined. The photolysis degrades MO and F to a greater extent than the photocatalysis. The degradation of SA occurred at the same rate either by photolysis or by photocatalysis. MB was best removed by photocatalysis. With regard to the photocatalysis, the highest rates of film diffusion were obtained for MB, F, and ROD, meaning that these molecules crossed the film to arrive at the catalyst surface more rapidly than the others. For MO and MB, the results followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model while for SA, F, and ROD, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was more appropriate.