DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF A TIO2 COATED FIBEROPTIC CABLE REACTOR - PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF 4-CHLOROPHENOL

We have developed, characterized, and utilized a photochemical reactor system that employs an optical fiber cable as a means of light transm ission to solid-supported TiO2. Light energy is transmitted to TiO2 pa rticles, which are chemically anchored onto quartz fiber cores, via ra dial refraction of light out of the fiber. Operational factors that in fluence the efficiency of the bundled-array optical fiber reactor are as follows: the uniformity and extent of light propagation down the fi ber, the degree of light absorption by the TiO2 coating of the refract ed light, and the ability of the chemical substrates to diffuse into t he TiO2 coating. A TiO2 coating layer that minimizes the interfacial s urface area of the quartz core and TiO2 particles and operation with i ncident irradiation angles near 90 degrees enhance light propagation d own the fibers. A maximum quantum efficiency of phi = 0.011 for the ox idation of 4-chlorophenol was achieved. This can be compared to a maxi mum quantum efficiency of phi = 0.0065 for 4-chlorophenol oxidation in a TiO2 slurry reactor operated under similar conditions.