Application of response surface methodology in the optimization of photocatalytic removal of environmental pollutants using nanocatalysts.

Response surface methodology is a widely used technique for modelling and optimization of the photocatalytic treatment processes of water and wastewater. This methodology not only estimates linear, interaction and quadratic effects of the factors on the response, but also provides a prediction model for the response at the range of the variables studied and the optimum conditions to achieve the highest performance. The present paper reviews the results of application of this innovative methodology in modelling and optimization of the photocatalytic treatment processes. Different experimental designs including 3k factorial, Doehlert, Box-Behnken and central composite designs have been developed to describe the treatment processes of dyeing effluents, pharmaceutical agents and hazardous phenolic compounds. The results showed that response surface methodology can describe the behaviour of complex reaction systems, such as photocatalytic processes, in the range of experimental conditions adopted. Optimization based on response surface methodology can also estimate the conditions of the photocatalytic processes to achieve the highest performance.