TiO2-Mediated Photo-degradation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters

فاقد چكيده

The photocatalytic degradation of several fatty acid methyl esters was studied on TiO2 nanopowder under UVA illumination and the rate of degradations were compared with the photo-degradation of samples without catalyst. The reaction intermediates were studied by gas chromatography- mass spectroscopy analysis. Among esters studied 9, 12- octadecadienoic acid methyl ester decomposed faster than the other esters with and without photocatalyst under UV radiation. The rate of decomposition of this ester with photocatayst was two times higher than without photo-catalyst. The ester was completely decomposed after 40 hrs of UV irradiation in the presence of the catalyst. The 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester decomposed with the lower rate and the hexadecanoic acid methyl ester remained unchanged under 40 hrs of irradiation without TiO2. GC-Mass analysis determined the intermediate products as aldehydes, which were produced from oxidation of unsaturated fatty acid methyl ester. Under UV irradiation in the presence of photocatalysis all the aldehydes were mineralized to CO2 and water.