Immobilization of TiO2 photocatalyst was realized with application of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). However, these PVA-based foils were too instable to be used for photocatalytic water cleaning. Their stability could be significantly enhanced by a thermal treatment, but this procedure generated various water-soluble derivatives such as aldehydes, ketones, and aromatic species. Photocatalytic pre-treatment of the foils proved to be suitable to remove these products from the surface of the composite. After three subsequent pre-treating cycles of irradiation and rinsing, the PVA-TiO2 foil became applicable for photocatalytic degradation of Triton X-100, a widely used non-ionic detergent. The composite catalyst kept its stability and efficiency even after some cycles of re-usage, while its surface underwent a perceptible, although quantitatively negligible degradation.

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Triton X-100 is one of the most widely-applied man-made non-ionic surfactants. This detergent can hardly be degraded by biological treatment. Hence, a more efficient degradation method is indispensable for the total mineralization of this pollutant. Application of heterogeneous photocatalysis based on a TiO2 suspension is a possible solution. Its efficiency may be improved by the addition of various reagents. We have thoroughly examined the photocatalytic degradation of Triton X-100 under various circumstances. For comparison, the efficiencies of ozonation and treatment with peroxydisulfate were also determined under the same conditions. Besides, the combination of these advanced oxidation procedures (AOPs) were also studied. The mineralization of this surfactant was monitored by following the TOC and pH values, as well as the absorption and emission spectra of the reaction mixture. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method was developed and optimized for monitoring the degradation of Triton X-100. Intermediates were also detected by GC-MS analysis and followed during the photocatalysis, contributing to the elucidation of the degradation mechanism. This non-ionic surfactant could be efficiently degraded by TiO2-mediated heterogeneous photocatalysis. However, surprisingly, its combination with the AOPs applied in this study did not enhance the rate of the mineralization. Moreover, the presence of persulfate hindered the photocatalytic degradation.

Heterogeneous photocatalysis can be successfully applied for the degradation of organic pollutants, although the efficiency of this method is insufficient. It can be increased by modification of the catalyst with precious metals (e.g. silver) or heterogeneous catalysis can be combined with other oxidative procedures such as ozonation. Another obstacle to the infield use of the method is that separating the catalyst from the liquid phase is difficult. This problem can be eliminated by the immobilization of the catalyst. The poly(vinyl alcohol)-TiO2 immobilized catalyst has been prepared for this purpose. During TiO2-based photocatalysis, active oxygen species such as the hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide are produced. The formation rate of the oxidative •OH radicals was also determined in the case of the previously mentioned techniques. As a scavenger of this radical, coumarin was added.