Highly efficient photodegradation of organic pollutants assisted by sonoluminescence.

The mechanism of the photodegradation of azo dyes via ultrasonication is studied using a combination of the high-performance liquid chromatography and UV-vis spectroscopy with detailed analysis of the kinetics. Based on the kinetics studies of the sonodegradation, it was proposed that the degradation of azo dyes was a multistage process that involved: (1) the direct attack of azo bonds and phenyl rings of dyes by the sonochemically formed reactive oxygen species; (2) the activation of semiconductor particles by the light emitted during cavitation and the triggering of the photocatalytic pathways of dye degradation and (3) increase of the adsorption capacity of the semiconductor particles due to the sonomechanically induced interparticle collisions. The detailed kinetics study can help in following an effective process up-scaling. It was demonstrated that extremely short pulses of light flashes in a cavitated mixture activated the surface of photocatalysts and significantly enhanced dye degradation processes.
(© 2014 The American Society of Photobiology.)