Kinetics and mechanism of photoactivated periodate reaction with 4-chlorophenol in acidic solution

The application of photoactivated periodate (UV/IO4-) to the degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was explored in this study. Under low irradiation intensities (23 microW/cm2), wavelength of 266 nm, and pH 3, 4-CP was observed to degrade by pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. The small reduction in 4-CP degradation in the presence of tert-butyl alcohol (t-BuOH) suggests that degradation of 4-CP by UV/IO4- was not dominated by an OH* pathway. O3 production was suppressed in the presence of t-BuOH under O2-limited environments and in the presence of 4-CP. Faster degradation of 4-CP in the presence of an OH* scavenger under nitrogen purging as compared to air-saturated conditions indicates that O(3P) is an important reactive species with 4-CP in this system. When 4-CP is added to the system, IO3- production is enhanced. On the basis of the elimination of potential reaction pathways, O(3P) and IO3* are suspected reactive species with 4-CP in this system.