Selective photoreduction of nitrobenzene to aniline on TiO2 nanoparticles modified with amino acid.

The photoreduction of nitrobenzene (NB) on TiO(2) nanoparticles modified with asparagine (Asp), serine (Ser), phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr), which were found to bind to TiO(2) via carboxyl group, have been investigated under high-pressure mercury irradiation. Modification of TiO(2) with Asp, Ser and Phe resulted in enhanced photocatalytic degradation rate of NB and high selective activity to aniline (AN) compared to using bare TiO(2). Furthermore, NB degradation followed a reductive approach over Asp, Ser, Phe-modified TiO(2) whether in additional of methanol or not. The result indicates that modification of TiO(2) with electron-donating groups is an effective way to enhance photoreduction of nitroaromatic compounds. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.