Photochemical degradation of aqueous solutions of organic dyes under exposure to vacuum ultraviolet radiation

A xenon excimer silent-discharge lamp of original design intended for use i n photochemical processes is described. The wavelength of excited xenon exc imers is 172 nm with a full width at half maximum of 16 nm. The operating e fficiency of the lamp was demonstrated using the decolorization of aqueous solutions of the azo dye Acid Yellow 99 as an example. The photodegradation kinetics of the dye obeys an exponential law, as determined by measuring c olor decay at nu (max1) = 22000 cm(-1), and depends on the interaction of d ye molecules with OH. radicals.