Photocatalytic reduction of nitrite to dinitrogen in aqueous suspensions of metal-loaded titanium(IV) oxide in the presence of a hole scavenger: an ensemble effect of silver and palladium co-catalysts.

Nitrite (NO(2)(-)) was photocatalytically reduced to dinitrogen (N(2)) in an aqueous suspension of two kinds of titanium(iv) oxide particles loaded with palladium and silver (Pd-TiO(2) and Ag-TiO(2)) at pH 8 under irradiation of UV light in the presence of sodium oxalate as a hole scavenger. The two metal-loaded TiO(2) photocatalysts had different roles in conversion of NO(2)(-) to N(2) and worked in an effective ensemble without conflict: (1) Pd-TiO(2) induced photocatalytic disproportionation of NO(2)(-) to N(2) and nitrate (NO(3)(-)) and (2) Ag-TiO(2) selectively reduced the thus-formed NO(3)(-) back to NO(2)(-) (partially to N(2)) with oxalate acting as a hole scavenger. When Pd-TiO(2) was used alone for NO(3)(-) reduction in the presence of sodium oxalate, Pd-TiO(2) induced fruitless photocatalytic decomposition of oxalate to carbon dioxide and dihydrogen. The presence of Ag-TiO(2) suppressed the fruitless decomposition of oxalate by Pd-TiO(2) because Ag-TiO(2) continuously provided NO(2)(-) in the reaction system using oxalate as a hole scavenger and Pd-TiO(2) therefore only worked as a photocatalyst for disproportionation of NO(2)(-) to N(2) and NO(3)(-) as it did when used alone.