TiO2 deactivation during gas-phase photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol

The deactivation of TiO₂ Degussa P25 during the gas-phase photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol has been studied. Water vapor plays a clear competitive role for surface sites adsorption, thus hampering the ethanol photo-oxidation. Dark adsorption of ethanol on a fresh catalyst shows a Langmuirian behavior with the formation of a monolayer of adsorbate. Dark adsorption in a TiO₂ surface that has been used in consecutive photocatalytic experiments of ethanol degradation gives non-Langmuirian isotherms, indicating the existence of noticeable changes of the catalyst surface structure. After several irradiations the catalyst activity decreases. Such deactivation has been investigated, observing that the rate constant of ethanol and acetaldehyde (its main degradation product) oxidation decreases with irradiation time. Several surface treatments have been studied in order to find suitable procedures for catalytic activity recovery, but regular decay of activity is always observed after every treatment.