SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF HETEROGENEOUS PHOTOCATALYSIS PRODUCTS OF NONYLPHENOL-ETHOXYLATE AND PRIMARY ALCOHOL ETHOXYLATE NONIONIC SURFACTANTS

Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) and primary alcohol ethoxylate (PAE(9-6)) were degraded using heterogeneous photocatalysis. An aqueous surfacta nt solution (2L, 2000 mg/L) containing TiO2 catalyst (0.1 % w/v) was i rradiated with a 400W Blacklight lamp. Analyses of the starting materi al and degradation intermediates were performed using gas chromatograp hy (GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), electrospray ma ss spectrometry (ESMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NM R). Identified intermediates suggested that the ethylene oxide chain w as more susceptible to degradation than aliphatic or aromatic moieties . Competitive degradation was also observed. NPE was degraded more rap idly than PAE(9-6). Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd