11

Fundamental Mechanistic Studies

of the Photo-Fenton Reaction for
the Degradation of Organic Pollutants
Amilcar Machulek Jr.1, Frank H. Quina2, Fabio Gozzi1,
Volnir O. Silva2, Leidi C. Friedrich2 and José E. F. Moraes3
1UniversidadeFederal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Departamento de Química – UFMS,
2Universidadede São Paulo, Instituto de Química and NAP-PhotoTech – USP,
3Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Engenharia – UNIFESP,

Brazil

1. Introduction
Very few regions of the planet possess abundant fresh water and access to adequate fresh
water resources can be expected to worsen as a result of population growth and industrial
demands for water. Liquid effluents containing toxic substances are generated by a variety
of chemistry-related industrial processes, as well as by a number of common household or
agricultural applications. The inadequate management of these residues can cause
contamination of the soil and of subterranean and surface water sources.
In general, the recovery of industrial effluents containing low levels of organic substances
by conventional treatments is not economically viable. Thus, for example, removal of the
pollutant by adsorption onto active charcoal, while often efficient, requires subsequent
recovery or incineration of the charcoal and merely transfers the pollutant from one phase to
another (Matthews, 1992). Substances that are biocides or that are non-biodegradable
represent a particular threat to the environment and prevent the use of conventional
biological treatments. Social and legal demands for environmental safety increasingly
require that effluents discharged into the environment have minimal impact on human
health, natural resources and the biosphere. These demands have fueled increasing research
into the development of new, more effective and economically viable methods for pollution
control and prevention. When applied to the degradation of pollutants, these reactions are
usually grouped together under the designations of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP)
or Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOT).

2. The principal advanced oxidation processes (AOP)

Advanced Oxidation Processes typically employ chemical oxidizing agents in the presence
of an appropriate catalyst and/or ultraviolet light (Legrini, et al., 1993; Sonntag, 2008;
Matilainen & Sillanpää, 2010) to oxidize or degrade the pollutant of interest. AOPs have
been employed for the degradation of a variety of organic pollutants, such as aliphatic and
aromatic hydrocarbons, halocarbons, phenols, ethers, ketones, etc. Examples of the major

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
272 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

types of AOPs that have been proposed in the literature include (oxidant [catalyst, when
present]/light): H2O2/UV (Gryglik et al., 2010; Ho & Bolton, 1998); O3/UV (Esplugas et al.,
1994; Machulek et al., 2009a); O3-H2O2/UV (Yue, 1993); [TiO2]/UV (Gaya & Abdullah, 2008;
Henderson, 2011; Jenks, 2005; Matthews, 1992); Fe(III)/[TiO2]/UV-Vis (Domínguez et al.,
1998); direct photolysis of water with vacuum UV (Gonzalez et al., 2004); Fenton reaction or
H2O2-Fe(II) (Dao & Laat, 2011; Haddou et al., 2010; Kwon et al., 1999; Pignatello et al., 2006;
Pontes et al., 2010); and the photo-Fenton reaction or H2O2 [Fe(II)/Fe(III)]/UV (Benitez et al.,
2011; Huston & Pignatello, 1999; Kim & Vogelpohl, 1998; Kiwi et al., 1994; Machulek et al.,
2007; Martyanov et al., 1997; Nichela et al., 2010; Pignatello et al., 2006; Ruppert et al., 1993).
In most AOP, the objective is to use systems that produce the hydroxyl radical, HO•, or
another species of similar reactivity such as the sulfate radical anion (SO4•-). The hydroxyl
radical is one of the most reactive species known in aqueous solution, surpassed only by
fluorine atoms, and reacts with the majority of organic substances with little or no selectivity
and at rates often approaching the diffusion-controlled limit (unit reaction efficiency per
encounter). The principal modes of reaction of HO• with organic compounds include
hydrogen abstraction from aliphatic carbon, addition to double bonds and aromatic rings,
and electron transfer (Bauer & Fallmann, 1997). These reactions generate organic radicals as
transient intermediates, which then undergo further reactions, eventually resulting in final
products (Poxid) corresponding to the net oxidative degradation of the starting molecule (R).
Overall, a typical AOP process can be can be generically represented as:

HO• + R → → → → → Poxid (1)

Evidently, however, this representation belies the underlying complexity of the intermediate
steps that occur on the pathway(s) from R to Poxid.
From an environmental standpoint, one must be sure that the degradation of the initial
pollutant does not produce intermediate products that are as toxic as or more toxic than the
initial pollutant that one wishes to degrade. Thus, it is absolutely essential that the progress
of the degradation and the final degradation products be adequately characterized. Since the
degradation of organic pollutants by the hydroxyl radical is typically stepwise, even a
relatively simple molecule like 4-chlorophenol can give rise to a plethora of intermediates,
with from six to two carbon atoms, in various states oxidation (Li et al., 1999a, 1999b; Jenks,
2005) before converging to the final mineralization products, CO2, water and HCl.
Identification and quantification of all of the intermediates and determination of the kinetics
and mechanisms of the individual reactions represent formidable tasks. For actual industrial
effluents or wastewaters, which are often complex mixtures of pollutants, the intricacy of
the degradation reactions can be enormous and one or more of the components or
intermediates may be resistant to degradation and accumulate in the system. Not
surprisingly, basic research into degradation pathways and mechanisms is still in its infancy
for most of the AOP.
Photochemical and photocatalytic processes have enormous potential for becoming viable
alternatives to conventional chemical AOP for the treatment of polluted waters and
effluents. Currently available photochemical technology permits the conversion of organic
pollutants having a wide range of chemical structures into substances that are less toxic
and/or more readily biodegradable. In favorable cases, they can cause total decomposition
of the organic constituents of the pollutant, generally referred to as “total mineralization”
(complete oxidation to carbon dioxide and water, plus inorganic salts of all heteroatoms

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 273

other than oxygen). Light of wavelengths in the range of 250-400 nm, corresponding to the
ultraviolet (UV) region of the spectrum, is most commonly used in photochemical
degradation processes (Braslavsky et al., 2011). Since ultraviolet light is a natural component
of solar radiation, the sun provides a low-cost, environmentally friendly, renewable source
of ultraviolet photons in photochemical processes. Thus, the use of solar photochemical
reactors is an extremely interesting, cost-effective option for treatment of effluents in many
of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the planet. In areas with marginal or inadequate
solar radiation intensity, conventional photochemical reactors fitted with ultraviolet lamps
or hybrid UV lamp/solar photoreactors can be employed. In addition to light, the common
AOPs use low to moderate concentrations of environmentally compatible chemical reagents
and are capable, in favorable cases, of complete mineralization of the organic constituents of
aqueous effluents. Although the initial or primary photochemical steps of the reactions
employed to treat effluents can be conceptually rather simple, a large number of subsequent
quite complex chemical steps are often involved in the overall degradation process.
Of the AOPs that have been proposed thus far, the Fenton reaction and the light-accelerated
Fenton reaction, commonly known as the photo-Fenton reaction, appear to be the most
promising for practical industrial applications (Pignatello et al., 2006). In the remainder of
this chapter, we shall focus our attention on fundamental mechanistic details of the Fenton
and photo-Fenton reactions, information that is essential for the adequate design and control
of photo-Fenton processes for the degradation of organic pollutants.

3. The Fenton reaction

Over a century ago, Fenton (Fenton, 1894) demonstrated that a mixture of H2O2 and Fe(II) in
acidic medium had very powerful oxidizing properties. Although the precise mechanism of
this reaction, now known as the Fenton reaction, is still the subject of some discussion
(Bossmann et al., 1998; Pignatello et al., 1999, 2006), it is generally assumed to be an
important chemical source of hydroxyl radicals. The classical mechanism is a simple redox
reaction in which Fe(II) is oxidized to Fe(III) and H2O2 is reduced to hydroxide ion and the
hydroxyl radical:

Fe2+aq + H2O2 → Fe3+aq + HO• + OH- (2)

For the degradation of organic molecules, the optimum pH for the Fenton reaction is
typically in the range of pH 3-4 and the optimum mass ratio of catalyst (as iron) to hydrogen
peroxide is 1.5 (Bigda, 1995).
In the conventional Fenton reaction, carried out in the absence of light, the ferric ion
produced in reaction (2) can be reduced back to ferrous ion by a second molecule of
hydrogen peroxide:

Fe3+aq + H2O2 + H2O → Fe2+aq + H3O+ + HO2•- (3)

However, this thermal reduction (reaction 3) is much slower than the initial step (reaction 2).
Thus, although chemically very efficient for the removal of organic pollutants, the Fenton
reaction slows down appreciably after the initial conversion of Fe(II) to Fe(III) and may
require the addition of relatively large amounts of Fe(II) in order to degrade the pollutant of
interest. Another important limitation of the Fenton reaction is the formation of recalcitrant
intermediates that inhibit the complete mineralization. Particularly noteworthy is the

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
274 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

formation of oxalic acid, H2C2O4, a poisonous and persistent oxidation product of many
degradation reactions. Since Fenton reactions are typically run at an initial pH of about 3
and oxalic acid is a relatively strong acid (with a first pKa of 1.4), the accumulation of oxalic
acid causes further acidification of the reaction mixture (to ca. pH 2) as the reaction
proceeds. In addition, Fe(III) is very efficiently chelated by the oxalate anion. This prevents
the reduction of Fe(III) back to Fe(II) and hence the complete mineralization of the organic
matter. A still unresolved question in the mechanism of the Fenton degradation of organic
material is the relative importance of other potential oxidizing species besides the hydroxyl
radical. The stoichiometry of Fenton degradation reactions is complex and, in addition to
Fe2+/Fe3+ and hydrogen peroxide, can involve the participation of the hydroperoxyl radical,
HOO•, iron(IV) or ferryl, FeO2+, dissolved molecular oxygen, organic hydroperoxides, and
other intermediates formed during the degradation. Despite these potential limitations, the
conventional Fenton reaction has been widely used for the treatment of effluents (Benitez et
al., 1999; Pignatello et al., 2006).
Any reaction or process that enhances the rate of conversion of Fe(III) back to Fe(II) will in
principle accelerate the rate of the Fenton reaction. In the electro-Fenton reaction, this is
accomplished electrochemically. Chemically, the Fenton reaction can be efficiently catalyzed
by certain types of organic molecules, especially benzoquinones or dihydroxybenzene
(DHB) derivatives. The catalytic influence of DHBs on the Fenton reaction was originally
reported by Hamilton and coworkers (Hamilton et al., 1966a, 1966b). Because DHBs such as
catechol or hydroquinone and their analogs are common initial intermediates in the
degradation of aromatic molecules, their presence in the reaction medium can result in
efficient DHB-catalyzed redox cycling of Fe3+ back o Fe2+ (Chen & Pignatello, 1997; Nogueira
et al., 2005). Indeed, in several cases, it has been shown that the addition of catechol or
catechol derivatives can enhance the rate and the overall mineralization efficiency of Fenton
reactions (Aguiar et al., 2007; Zanta et al., 2010). In addition, DHB-catalyzed redox cycling of
iron may be important in fungal degradation of lignin and several possible mechanisms
have been suggested (Aguiar et al., 2007). The third method of accelerating the Fenton
reaction is via irradiation with ultraviolet light, generally known as the photo-assisted
Fenton or photo-Fenton reaction, which will be the primary focus of the remainder of this
chapter.

4. The Photo-Fenton reaction

4.1 General features of the Photo-Fenton reaction
About two decades ago, it was found that the irradiation of Fenton reaction systems with
UV/Visible light strongly accelerated the rate of degradation of a variety of pollutants
(Huston & Pignatello, 1999; Ruppert et al., 1993). This behavior upon irradiation is due
principally to the photochemical reduction of Fe(III) back to Fe(II), for which the net reaction
can be written as:

hv
Fe3+aq + H2O ⎯⎯ → Fe2+aq + HO• + H+ (4)
More detailed studies of the pH dependence of the photo-Fenton reaction have shown that
the optimum pH range is ca. pH 3. The reason for this pH dependence becomes clear when
one examines the speciation of Fe(III) as a function of pH (Figure 1) and the absorption
spectra of the relevant Fe(III) species (Figure 2). At pH < 2, the dominant species is

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 275

hexaquoiron(III), Fe(H2O)63+ [or simply Fe3+ for convenience], which absorbs weakly in the
ultraviolet above 300 nm. At pH > 3, freshly prepared solutions of Fe(III) are supersaturated
with respect to formation of colloidal iron hydroxide, Fe(OH)3 and prone to precipitation of
hydrated iron oxides upon standing for a prolonged period. At pH 3, however, the
predominant Fe(III) species present in aqueous solution is Fe(H2O)5(OH)2+ [or simply
Fe(OH)2+], which absorbs throughout much of the ultraviolet spectral region (Martyanov et
al., 1997).

Fig. 1. Speciation of 0.5 mM Fe(III) between pH 1 and 4 at 25○C and an ionic strength of 0.1.
Mole fractions of each species were calculated with the public domain program Hydra
(Puigdomenech, 2010), employing the equilibrium constants for complexation supplied with
the program (excluding insoluble iron species).
Studies of the photochemistry of Fe(OH)2+ have shown (Pozdnyakov et al., 2000) that
Fe(OH)2+ undergoes a relatively efficient photoreaction to produce Fe(II) and the hydroxyl
radical:

hv •
Fe(OH)2+ ⎯⎯ → Fe2+ + HO (5)
Thus, irradiation of the Fenton reaction not only regenerates Fe(II), the crucial catalytic
species in the Fenton reaction (reaction 2), but also produces an additional hydroxyl radical,
the species responsible for the degradation of organic material. As a consequence of these
two effects, the photo-Fenton process is faster than the conventional thermal Fenton process.
Moreover, since Fe(II) is regenerated by light with decomposition of water (equations 4-5)
rather than H2O2 (reaction 3), the photo-Fenton process consumes less H2O2 and requires
only catalytic amounts of Fe(II).
The photo-Fenton reaction has several operational and environmental advantages. The
classes of organic compounds that are susceptible to photodegradation via the Fenton
reaction are rather well known (Bigda, 1995). The photo-Fenton process produces no new

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
276 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

pollutants and requires only small quantities of iron salt. At the end of the reaction, if
necessary, the residual Fe(III) can be precipitated as iron hydroxide by increasing the pH.
Any residual hydrogen peroxide that is not consumed in the process will spontaneously
decompose into water and molecular oxygen and is thus a "clean” reagent in itself. These
features make homogeneous photo-Fenton based AOPs the leading candidate for cost-
efficient, environmental friendly treatment of industrial effluents on a small to moderate
scale (Pignatello et al., 2006). An early example of an industrial-scale application of the
photo-Fenton process was the decontamination of 500 L batches of an industrial effluent
containing 2,4-dimethylaniline in a photochemical reactor fitted with a 10 kW medium
pressure mercury lamp (Oliveros et al., 1997).

(a) Solid curve: pH 1.5 with perchloric acid, 90% Fe(H2O)6 3+ or Fe3+, see Figure 1;
(b) Dashed Curve: pH 2.5 with perchloric acid, ca. 50:50 FeOH2+:Fe3+, see Figure 1;
(c) Dotted Curve: pH 1.5 plus added 500 mmol L-1 NaCl, 30% FeCl2+ and 65% FeCl2+.
Fig. 2. Absorption spectra of 0.43 mM Fe(III) perchlorate under three typical conditions,
expressed as the apparent extinction coefficient, ε, defined as the observed absorbance
divided by the total Fe(III) concentration.

4.2 Inhibition of the Photo-Fenton reaction by chloride ion

Our interest in the fundamental mechanistic aspects of the photo-Fenton reaction arose from
the necessity to optimize the degradation of organic material in effluents or wastewaters
containing high concentrations of chloride ion. With such effluents, such as petroleum
wastewaters from offshore marine environments or residues from organochloride pesticide
production, the photo-Fenton reaction is strongly inhibited. Thus, although the photo-
Fenton reaction results in essentially complete mineralization of phenol in the absence of
chloride ion (Figure 3, curve e), in the presence of the chloride ion the mineralization process
(indicated by the reduction in the amount of total organic carbon, TOC) stops after only
partial decomposition of the organic material (Figure 3, curve c).

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 277

Fig. 3. Degradation of 12 mM phenol in the presence of 200 mM H2O2 and 0.5 mM Fe2+.
Fenton oxidation at pHinitial 3.0 in the presence (curve a, ■) and absence (curve b, ฀) of 0.5 M
NaCl. Photo-Fenton degradation (400 W medium pressure Hg vapor lamp – incident photon
intensities were 1.2 x 10-4 Ein/s) at pHinitial 3.0 with no pH control in the absence (curve e, ▲)
or presence (curve c, ●) of 0.5 M NaCl; or with pH 3.0 maintained throughout the reaction in
the absence (curve f, ∆) or presence of 0.5 M NaCl (curve d, ○). For details, see (Machulek et
al., 2007).
In the presence of chloride ion, the extent of mineralization in the photo-Fenton reaction
(Figure 3, curve c) is comparable to that observed in the analogous thermal Fenton reaction
carried out in the dark in the presence or absence of chloride ion (Figure 3, curves a and b).
Although we (Moraes et al., 2004a, 2004b) and others (De Laat & Le, 2006; Kiwi et al., 2000;
Maciel et al., 2004; Pignatello, 1992) had ascribed this inhibition to the preferential formation
of the less-reactive Cl2•- radical anion instead of the desired hydroxyl radical, optimization
of photo-Fenton reactions required a fuller understanding of the mechanistic details of the
inhibition. For this purpose, we (Machulek et al., 2006) used nanosecond laser flash
photolysis to investigate the influence of added chloride ion on the photocatalytic step that
converts Fe(III) back to Fe(II) (equation 5), deliberately omitting H2O2 from the reaction
mixture to prevent the thermal Fenton reaction. Although direct spectroscopic detection of
the hydroxyl radical has proved elusive (Marin et al., 2011), the Cl2•- radical anion, which
absorbs at 340 nm (ε340nm = 8000 M-1cm-1), can be readily detected upon excitation of aqueous
solutions of iron(III) at acidic pH in the presence of added sodium chloride at 355 nm with
the third harmonic of a Nd-YAG laser. Differential absorption spectra (Figure 4) and kinetic
traces (insert, Figure 4) showed fast formation of the Cl2•- radical anion, within the lifetime
of the laser pulse (5 ns), and its subsequent decay via mixed first and second order kinetics.
The net decrease in absorption at longer times, relative to that prior to the laser pulse,
reflects the conversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II), which does not absorb in this spectral region.

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
278 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

Fig. 4. Laser flash photolysis at 355 nm of 0.50 mM Fe(III) in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl at
pH 1. Transient absorption spectra of Cl2•- immediately (●) and 15 s (○) after the laser
pulse. The insert shows the kinetics of Cl2•- disappearance monitored at = 340 nm.

Fig. 5. Speciation of 0.5 mM Fe(III) between pH 1 and 4 at 25○C and an ionic strength of 0.2
in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl. Mole fractions of each species were calculated with the public
domain program Hydra (Puigdomenech, 2010), employing the equilibrium constants for
complexation supplied with the program (excluding insoluble iron species).

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 279

Laser flash photolysis data for the production and decay of Cl2•- were then obtained over a
wide range of pH and concentration of Fe(III) and chloride ion and these data used to
develop an explicit mechanistic model for the initial photoinduced processes involved in the
photo-Fenton reaction in the presence of chloride ion (Machulek et al., 2006). As indicated in
Figure 5, in the presence of chloride ion, the dominant species present at pH < 2.5 is no
longer Fe3+, but rather FeCl2+ and FeCl2+ (coordinated waters being omitted).
Moreover, FeCl2+ not only absorbs further out in the ultraviolet than Fe(OH)2+ (Figure 2),
but it also undergoes photolysis (equation 6) with a quantum yield higher than that of
Fe(OH)2+ (equation 5).

hv
Fe(Cl)2+ ⎯⎯ → Fe2+ + Cl• (6)
•-
The photoproduced chlorine atoms rapidly react with chloride ions to form Cl2 (equation
7), the species actually detected in the laser flash photolysis experiments:

Cl• + Cl- → Cl2•- (7)

and whose second order decay component is due to the disproportionation reaction:

Cl2•- + Cl2•- → 2 Cl- + Cl2 (8)

The model employed to fit the experimentally observed decay curves for Cl2•- took into
account the initial photochemical formation of the hydroxyl radical from Fe(OH)2+ (equation
5) and of chlorine atoms from FeCl2+ (equation 6) and the subsequent reactions of these via
the set of elementary steps outlined in Table 1 (Machulek et al., 2006).

No. Reaction k (s-1 or mol-1 L s-1)

Speciation Equilibria (I = 1)
1 Fe3+ + Cl− ⇄ FeCl2+ k1 = 4.79 x 1010, k-1 = 1 x 1010
2 Fe3+ + 2 Cl− ⇄ FeCl2+ k2 = 6.31 x 1010, k-2 = 1 x 1010
Reactions of Iron Species
3 Fe2+ + Cl• → Fe3+ + Cl− k3 = 5.9 x 109
4 Fe2+ + Cl2•− → Fe3+ + 2Cl− k4 = 5 x 106
Reactions of Reactive Chlorine Species
5 Cl• + Cl− ⇄ Cl2•− k5 = 7.8 x 109, k-5 = 5.7 x 104
6 Cl• + H2O2 → HO2• + Cl− + H+ k6 = 1 x 109
7 Cl2•− + Cl2•− → 2Cl− + Cl2 k7 = 2.8 x 109
8 Cl2•− + H2O2 → HO2• + 2Cl− + H+ k8 = 1.4 x 105
9 Cl2•− + HO2• → 2Cl− + H+ + O2 k9 = 3.1 x 109
10 Cl− + HO• ⇄ HOCl•− k10 = 4.2 x 109, k-10 = 6.1 x 109
11 HOCl•− + H+ ⇄ H2O + Cl• k11 = 2.4 x 1010, k-11 = 1.8 x 105
12 Cl2•− + Cl• → Cl− + Cl2 k12 = 1.4 x 109
Table 1. Set of reactions required to simulate the kinetics for production and decay of Cl2•-
upon laser flash photolysis of Fe3+ in the presence of chloride ion over a wide range of pH
and Fe3+ and NaCl concentrations.

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
280 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

The initial concentrations of HO• and C1• produced at t = 0 by the laser pulse were
calculated from the relationship (equation 9):

 A Fe(X) 
X •  =  
 t =0 ( 1 − 10 )
 AT 
AT
( ILaser ) (ΦX ) (9)

where X = OH or Cl and ΦHO = 0.21 and ΦCl = 0.47 are, respectively, the quantum yields
for production of Fe(I1) from Fe(OH)2+ or Fe(Cl)2+ at 355 nm. AFe(X) is the absorbance of
either Fe(OH)2+ or Fe(Cl)2+ and AT the total absorbance of the solution, both at the laser
excitation wavelength of 355 nm (in an effective optical path length of 0.5 cm). The ratio
AFe(X)/AT was calculated from the initial concentrations of the species Fe(Cl)2+, Fe(Cl)2+,
Fe3+, Fe(OH)2+, Fe(OH)2+ and [Fe2(H2O)4(OH)2]4+, together with molar absorption
coefficients at 355 nm taken from the literature absorption spectra (Byrne & Kester, 1978,
1981). For each experimental condition (pH, [Cl-], [Fe(III)]), the relative concentrations of
the iron(III) species were calculated with the public domain speciation program Hydra
(Puigdomenech, 2010), employing the set of standard equilibrium constants for
complexation supplied with the program. The incident laser intensity (Ilaser) was estimated
by fitting the transient absorbance of Cl2•- at time zero at pH 1.0 in the presence of 0.5 M
NaCl, where competitive photolysis of Fe(OH)2+ is negligible. The concentrations of HO•
and Cl• at t = 0 calculated from equation 9 served as the initial conditions for numerical
solution of the set of reactions and rate constants listed in Table 1. This kinetic model
provided a quantitative fit of the observed transient decay curves (like that shown in the
inset of Figure 4) over the entire range of pH and concentrations of chloride ion and
Fe(III) investigated.
Having established the basic mechanistic scheme for the photoinduced steps of the photo-
Fenton reaction, one can then use it to infer the course of a typical photo-Fenton degradation
in the presence of chloride ion. At the beginning of the photo-Fenton reaction, when the pH
is still ca. 3.0, the concentration of Fe(OH)2+ exceeds that of FeCl2+ or FeCl2+, even in the
presence of relatively high concentrations of chloride ion (Figure 5). The pH-dependent
scavenging of HO• by chloride ion (equations 10-11):

HO• + Cl- ⇄ HOCl•- (10)

H+ + HOCl•- ⇄ H2OCl• → H2O + Cl• (11)

is also still a relatively inefficient process, so that the photochemical formation of HO•
should predominate. However, as the photo-Fenton process proceeds, partial degradation of
the organic material causes the pH of the medium to fall to ca. pH 2.0, where photolysis of
FeCl2+ dominates over photolysis of Fe(OH)2+ and where the chloride ion efficiently
converts any HO• formed in the system into the intrinsically much less reactive Cl2•- radical
anion (Bacardit et al., 2007; Buxton et al., 1999; De Laat et al., 2004; George & Chovelon,
2002; Kiwi et al., 2000; McElroy, 1990; Moraes, et al., 2004a; Nadtochenko & Kiwi, 1998;
Pignatello, 1992; Soler et al., 2009; Truong et al., 2004; Yu, 2004; Yu et al., 2004; Yu & Barker,
2003a, 2003b; Zapata et al., 2009). As a result, virtually complete inhibition of the photo-
Fenton degradation of typical organic substrates (Kiwi & Nadtochenko, 2000; Machulek et

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 281

al., 2007; Moraes et al., 2004a, 2004b; Pignatello, 1992) will occur at moderate chloride ion
concentrations [>0.03 M NaCl for aliphatic hydrocarbons (Moraes et al., 2004a); >0.2 M NaCl
for phenols] when the pH of the medium reaches pH 2.0 or below. On the other hand, this
sequence of events clearly indicates that it should be possible to circumvent the inhibition
by chloride ion by simply maintaining the pH at or slightly above pH 3 throughout the
degradation process (see Figure 5). This is nicely illustrated by curve d in Figure 3, which
shows that pH control does indeed permit nearly complete mineralization of phenol in the
presence of chloride ion (Machulek et al., 2006, 2007). Although pH control also enhances
the rate of the photo-Fenton reaction in the absence of chloride ion by optimizing the
concentration of Fe(OH)2+ (see Figure 1), the effect is much less dramatic (compare curves e
and f in Figure 3).
Although the mechanism outlined in Table 1 nicely rationalizes the kinetics of formation
and decay of Cl2•- on a fast time scale, it does not permit prediction of the accumulation of
Fe(II) in the same system in the absence of H2O2 under steady-state irradiation. For this
purpose, one must include additional kinetic steps that are too slow to be relevant on the
time scale of the laser flash photolysis experiments. Experimentally (Machulek et al.,
2009b) it is found that the concentration of Fe2+ eventually reaches a plateau value at long
times, more quickly in the presence of chloride ion than in its absence (Figure 6).
Simulation of this behavior required the inclusion of additional kinetic steps, in particular
for the back reactions that result in reoxidation of Fe2+. These additional kinetic steps are
listed in Table 2.

Fig. 6. The accumulation of ferrous ion during irradiation (350 nm) of 1.0 mM Fe(III) at:
(A) pH 1.0 in the presence of 0.75 mol L-1 chloride ion; (B) at pH 3 in the absence of chloride
ion; and (C) at pH 3 in the presence of 1.8 mmol L-1 sulfate ions.

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
282 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

No. Reaction k (s-1 or mol-1 L s-1)

Speciation Equilibria (I = 1)
1 Fe3+ + H2O ⇄ FeOH2+ + H+ k1 = 1.91 x 107, k-1 = 1 x 1010
2 Fe3+ + 2H2O ⇄ Fe(OH)2+ + 2H+ k2 = 3.39 x 103, k-2 = 1 x 1010
3 2Fe3+ + 2H2O ⇄ [Fe2(OH)2]4+ + 2H+ k3 = 1.12 x 107, k-3 = 1 x 1010
Reactions of Reactive Oxygen Radicals
4 HO• + HO• → H2O2 k4 = 6.0 x 109
5 HO• + H2O2 → H2O + HO2• k5 = 2.7 x 107
6 HO2• + HO2• → H2O2 + O2 k6 = 8.3 x 105
7 HO2• + H2O2 → HO• + O2 + H2O k7 = 0.5
Reactions of Iron Species
8 Fe2+ + HO• → Fe3+ + OH− k8 = 4.3 x 108
9 Fe2+ + H2O2 → Fe3+ + HO• + OH− k9 = 63
10 Fe3+ + HO2• → Fe2+ + O2 + H+ k10 = 1 x 106
11 Fe3+ + H2O2 → Fe2+ + HO2• + H+ k11 = 0.01
Table 2. Set of additional ground state reactions required to fit the accumulation of Fe2+
during the steady-state irradiation of Fe3+ in the presence and absence of chloride ion
(Machulek et al., 2009b)

4.3 Inhibition of the Photo-Fenton reaction by sulfate ion

Also indicated in Figure 6 is the inhibition of the formation of Fe2+ in the presence of a
relatively low concentration of added sulfate ions, based on the rate constants for
complexation of Fe(III) by sulfate in Table 3. Sulfate ion is often present in photo-Fenton
reactions as a result of the addition of iron in the form of readily available sulfate salts (De
Laat & Le, 2005). Sulfate ion complexes strongly with Fe(III) over a wide pH range (Figure 7)
and the quantum yield of production of Fe2+ plus a sulfate anion radical from photolysis of
Fe(SO4)+ is only about 0.05 (Benkelberg & Warneck, 1995). Iron phosphate is even more
photoinert than the iron sulfate complex (Benkelberg & Warneck, 1995; Lee et al., 2003) and
should be an even more powerful inhibitor of the photo-Fenton reaction.

4.4 Catalysis of the Photo-Fenton reaction by complexation of Fe(III)

The efficiency of the photo-Fenton process can be further enhanced by using organic
carboxylic acids to complex Fe(III) (Pignatello et al., 2006). A particularly important example
is provided by oxalic acid. Thus, unlike the thermal Fenton reaction, in which oxalic acid is a
recalcitrant intermediate, in the photo-Fenton reaction it can act as a catalyst. Thus,
ferrioxalate complexes can absorb light as far out as 570 nm, i.e., well into the visible region
of the spectrum. Moreover, upon irradiation, they decompose efficiently (quantum yields of
the order of unity) to Fe(II) and CO2. The net result is that, in the presence of oxalate, the
photo-Fenton reaction is intrinsically more efficient, can be induced by a wider range of
wavelengths of light, and results in the mineralization of the oxalate ion. Thus, for example, in
a municipal water treatment system, Kim & Vogelpohl (1998) found that, with UV irradiation,
the photo-Fenton process was at least 30% more energy efficient in the presence of oxalate than
in its absence. Clearly, the sensitivity of the ferrioxalate-catalyzed photo-Fenton process to
both UV and visible light makes it particularly attractive for applications in which the sun is
employed as the radiation source (Silva et al., 2010; Trovó & Nogueira, 2011).

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 283

No. Reaction k (s-1 or mol-1 L s-1)

Speciation Equilibria (I = 1)
1 Fe3+ + SO42- ⇄ FeSO4+ k1 = 2.09 x 1012, k-1 = 1 x 1010 (I=1)
2 Fe3+ + 2SO42- ⇄ Fe(SO4)2- k2 = 1.95 x 1013, k-2 = 1 x 1010 (I=1)
3 Fe2+ + SO42- ⇄ FeSO4 k3 = 1.55 x 1011, k-3 = 1 x 1010 (I=1)
Reactions of Sulfate Ions
4 H+ + SO42- ⇄ HSO4- k4 = 2.8 x 1011, k-4 = 1 x 1010 (I=1)
5 HSO4− + HO• → SO4•− + H2O k5 = 3.5 x 105
6 SO4•−+ H2O → H+ + SO42− + HO• k6 = 6.6 x 102
7 SO4•− + OH− → SO42− + HO• k7 = 1.4 x 107
8 SO4•−+H2O2 →SO42−+ H+ + HO2• k8 = 1.2 x 107
9 SO4•− + HO2• → SO42− + H+ + O2 k9 = 3.5 x 109
10 SO4•− + SO4•− → S2O82− k10 = 2.7 x 108
Reactions of Iron Species
11 Fe2+ + SO4•− → Fe3+ + SO42− k11 = 3.0 x 108
Table 3. Set of additional ground state reactions required to fit the accumulation of Fe2+
during the steady-state irradiation of Fe3+ in the presence of sulfate ion (Machulek et al.,
2009b).

Fig. 7. Speciation of 1.0 mM Fe(III) between pH 1 and 4 at 25○C and an ionic strength of 0.2
in the presence of 1.8 mM sulfate. Mole fractions of each species were calculated with the
public domain program Hydra (Puigdomenech, 2010), employing the equilibrium constants
for complexation supplied with the program (excluding the insoluble iron species).

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
284 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

4.5 Concurrent Photo-Fenton and Fenton reactions

A final point that should be emphasized is that, under typical photo-Fenton reaction
conditions, both the thermal Fenton reaction and the photo-Fenton reactions occur
concurrently in the reaction mixture. Light is almost always the limiting reagent in
photochemical reactions and photo-Fenton reactions are often conducted in reactors in
which the solution is recirculated through the photoreactor from an external reservoir. Thus,
at any given moment, the photo-Fenton reaction will be operative only in the portion of the
total reaction mixture that is contained in the photoreactor per se, while the thermal Fenton
reaction can proceed throughout the entire reaction volume. Indeed, comparison of the
degradation of phenol under various conditions (Figure 3) strongly suggests that the initial
phase of the reaction is dominated by the thermal reaction, with the inflection at about 80
min where the curves diverge indicating the point at which the photo-Fenton reaction
becomes dominant.
Particularly interesting is the apparent insensitivity of the thermal Fenton degradation of
phenol to the presence of added chloride ion, as indicated by the similarity of curves a and b
of Figure 3. At the initial pH of 3 of the reaction mixture, the hydroxyl radical is inefficiently
scavenged by chloride and produces, as the initial products of phenol degradation, the
DHBs catechol and hydroquinone. Thus, unlike the photo-Fenton reaction, which depends
on the intermediacy of the hydroxyl radical, the thermal degradation of phenol shifts to the
DHB-catalyzed reaction mentioned above for the Fenton reaction until all of the DHBs have
themselves been degraded (Chen and Pignatello, 1997). At that point, most of the iron(III) is
rendered redox inert by complexation with oxalic acid and/or other recalcitrant aliphatic
acids and the Fenton reaction ceases (Zanta et al., 2010).

5. Areas for future development

Despite significant advances in the last decade, the widespread successful application of
photochemical technology for the treatment and decontamination of industrial residues and
wastewaters is still not a reality. Research chemists and process engineers must work
together to solve several important practical problems that limit the technological
applications of the photo-Fenton reaction on a large scale (Braun et al., 1991). Since the
overall effective quantum efficiency can be relatively low, long irradiation times must be
employed in order to achieve total mineralization of the organic components of effluents.
Electrical power consumption can then easily represent 60% of the total operating expense
of a lamp-based photochemical reactor. Additional costs associated with non-solar
photochemical reactors include cooling, maintenance and depreciation of the lamps and UV
radiation shielding and protection for workers. One of the obvious economic benefits of the
use of solar photochemical reactors is the elimination of costs associated with installation
and maintenance of lamps and with electrical power consumption (Moraes et al., 2004b;
Nascimento et al., 2007). In parallel with the development of solar reactors or hybrid
lamp/solar reactors, an important area is the development of photocatalysts that operate
effectively under visible or solar irradiation (Anpo, 2000).
Particularly in larger scale reactors, operational problems such as the formation of deposits
on the reactor walls that block the incident radiation must be addressed. Optimization
strategies (Braun et al., 1991, 1993; Cassano et al., 1995; Nascimento et al., 1994; Oliveros et
al., 1998) must be applied to the design of reactors that homogenize the incidence of light on

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 285

the reactor walls and maximize the total amount of light absorbed by the system. Reactor
design must also take into account the strong interdependence between light absorption,
mass transport and reaction kinetics in solutions with high optical densities and optimize
the balance between the concurrent photochemical and thermal contributions to the Fenton
reaction. Although the relatively long irradiation times required for the complete
mineralization of organic contaminants tend to compromise the economic viability of stand-
alone photo-Fenton processes, they can be viable as a pre-treatment to reduce the toxicity of
the effluent to levels compatible with other remediation technologies such as conventional
biological treatment. Hence, the design of photo-Fenton reactors should also take into
account the necessity of facile integration with other effluent decontamination technologies.
A final point that has only recently been considered in a more systematic context is the
intensification of Fenton processes by increasing the temperature (Zazo et al., 2011),
particularly attractive in the case of photo-Fenton reactions where a substantial part of the
absorbed light energy is dissipated as heat in the solution.

6. Conclusions
Of the currently known advanced oxidation processes, the Fenton reaction and the photo-
Fenton reaction appear to be the most promising for practical industrial applications on a
moderate scale. The fundamental photomechanistic aspects of the photo-Fenton reaction
have been clarified by studies of the photochemistry of Fe(IIII) in the absence of hydrogen
peroxide in order to avoid the complications due to the competing Fenton reaction. The
Fe(III) species primarily responsible for the initial photochemical generation of Fe(II) plus a
hydroxyl radical is Fe(OH)2+. Inhibition of the photo-Fenton by ions such as chloride or
sulfate can be understood by considering the competitive pH-dependent complexation of
Fe(III) by these ions, the competitive absorption and photochemistry of these complexes
and/or the subsequent chemical reactions that can convert the hydroxyl radical into less
reactive species. Adequate mechanisms, together with the relevant rate constants, are now
available for the inhibition of the net photoconversion of Fe(III) to Fe(II) by both chloride
and sulfate, allowing quantitative or semi-quantitative simulation of the experimentally
observed inhibitory effects. As predicted by the mechanistic models, the inhibitory effect of
chloride ion on real photo-Fenton degradations can be readily circumvented by simply
maintaining the medium pH at ca. pH 3 throughout the reaction. Areas where additional
progress would be welcome include an understanding of the role of temperature effects on
the Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions and new strategies for further enhancing the
efficiency of the photo-Fenton reaction. Improvements in photoreactor design are necessary
in order to optimize the contribution of the photoinduced processes relative to the
concurrent thermal Fenton reaction.

7. Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the Brazilian funding agencies CAPES and CNPq for financial
and fellowship support. F.H.Q. is associated with NAP-PhotoTech, the USP Research
Consortium for Photochemical Technology, and INCT-Catalysis. A.M. Jr. and J.E.F. Moraes
are affiliated with INCT-EMA. A.M.Jr. thanks FUNDECT for financial support of the work
at UFMS.

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
286 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

8. References
Aguiar, A.; Ferraz, A.; Contreras, D. & Rodríguez, J. (2007). Mecanismo e aplicação da
reação de Fenton assistida por compostos fenólicos redutores de ferro. Química
Nova, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 623-628, ISSN 0100-4042
Anpo, M. (2000). Utilisation of TiO2 photocatalysts in green chemistry. Pure and Applied
Chemistry, Vol. 72, No. 7, pp. 1265-1270, ISSN 0033-4545
Bacardit, J.; Stötzner, J.; Chamarro, E. & Esplugas, S. (2007). Effect of salinity on the photo-
Fenton process. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 46, No. 23, pp.
7615-7619, ISSN 0888-5885
Bauer, R. & Fallmann, H. (1997). The photo-Fenton oxidation - a cheap and efficient
wastewater treatment method. Research on Chemical Intermediates, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp.
341-354, ISSN 0922-6168
Benitez, F.J.; Beltran-Heredia, J.; Acero, J.L. & Rubio, F.J. (1999). Chemical decomposition of
2,4,6-triclorophenol by ozone, Fenton’s reagent, and UV radiation. Industrial &
Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 1341-1349, ISSN 0888-5885
Benitez, F.J.; Acero, J.L.; Real, F.J.; Roldan, G. & Casas, F. (2011). Comparison of different
chemical oxidation treatments for the removal of selected pharmaceuticals in water
matrices. Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol. 168, No. 3, pp. 1149-1156, ISSN 1385-
8947
Benkelberg, H. J. & Warneck, P. (1995). Photodecomposition of iron(III) hydroxo and sulfate
complexes in aqueous solution: Wavelength dependence of OH and SO4- quantum
yields. Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 99, No. 14, pp. 5214-5221, ISSN 0022-3654
Bigda, R. (1995). Consider Fenton’s chemistry for wastewater treatment. Chemical
Engineering Progress, (Dec.), Vol. 91, No. 12, pp. 62-66, ISSN 03607275
Bolton, J. R. (1999). Light Compendium – Ultraviolet Principles and Applications. Inter-
American Photochemical Society Newsletter, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 20-61
Bossmann, S.H.; Oliveros, E.; Göb, S.; Siegwart, S.; Dahlen, E.P.; Payawan, L.; Straub, M.;
Wörner, M. & Braun, A.M. (1998). New evidence against hydroxyl radicals as
reactive intermediates in the thermal and photochemically enhanced Fenton
Reactions. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol. 102, No. 28, pp. 5542-5550, ISSN
1089-5639
Braslavsky, S.E.; Braun, A.M.; Cassano, A.E.; Emeline, A.V.; Litter, M.I.; Palmisano, L.;
Parmon, V.N. & Serpone, N. (2011). Glossary of terms used in photocatalysis and
radiation catalysis (IUPAC recommendations 2011). Pure and Applied Chemistry,
Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 931-1014, ISSN 0033-4545
Braun, A.M.; Maurette, M.T. & Oliveros, E. (1991). Photochemical Technology. John Wiley &
Sons, ISBN-13 978-0471926528, New York, USA
Braun, A.M.; Jakob, L.; Oliveros, E. & Nascimento, C.A.O. (1993). Up-scaling photochemical
reactions, In: Advances in Photochemistry, Volman, D.H.; Hammond, G.S. & Neckers,
D.C., Vol. 18, pp. 235-313, ISBN 9780471591337, John Wiley & Sons, USA
Buxton, G.V., Bydder, M. & Salmon, G.A. (1999). The reactivity of chlorine atoms in aqueous
solution—Part II. The equilibrium SO4•- + Cl-  Cl• + SO42-. Physical Chemistry
Chemical Physics, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 269–273, ISSN 1463-9076

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 287

Byrne, R.H. & Kester, D.R. (1978). Ultraviolet spectroscopic study of ferric hydroxide
complexation. Journal of Solution Chemistry, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 373–383, ISSN 0095-
9782
Byrne, R.H. & Kester, D.R. (1981). Ultraviolet spectroscopic study of ferric equilibria at high
chloride concentration. Journal of Solution Chemistry, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 51–67, ISSN
0095-9782
Cassano, A.; Martín, C.A.; Brandi, R.J. & Alfano, O.M. (1995). Photoreactor analysis and
design: fundamentals and applications. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research,
Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 2155-2201, ISSN 0888-5885
Chen, R. & Pignatello, J.J. (1997). Role of quinone intermediates as electron shuttles in
Fenton and photoassisted Fenton oxidations of aromatic compouds. Environmental
Science & Technology, Vol. 31, No. 8, pp. 2399-2406, ISSN 0013-936X
Dao, Y.H. & Laat, J. (2011). Hydroxyl radical involvement in the decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide by ferrous and ferric-nitrilotriacetate complexes at neutral pH. Water
Research, Vol. 45, No. 11, pp. 3309-3317, ISSN 0043-1354
De Laat, J.; Le, G.T. & Legube, B. (2004). A comparative study of the effects of chloride,
sulfate and nitrate ions on the rates of decomposition of H2O2 and organic
compounds by Fe(II)/H2O2 and Fe(III)/H2O2. Chemosphere, Vol. 55, No. 5, pp. 715-
723, ISSN 0045-6535
De Laat, J. & Le, T. G. (2005). Kinetics and Modeling of the Fe(III)/H2O2 System in the
Presence of Sulfate in Acidic Aqueous Solutions. Environmental Science &
Technology, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 1811-1818, ISSN 0013-936X
De Laat, J. & Le, T. G. (2006). Effects of chloride ions on the iron(III)-catalyzed
decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and on the efficiency of the Fenton-like
oxidation process. Applied Catalysis, B: Environmetal, Vol. 66, No. 1-2, pp. 137-146,
ISSN 0926-3373
Domínguez, C.; García, J.; Pedraz, M.A.; Torres, A. & Galán, M.A. (1998). Photocatalytic
oxidation of organic pollutants in water. Catalysis Today, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 85-101,
ISSN 0920-5861
Esplugas, S.; Yue, P.L. & Pervez, M.I. (1994). Degradation of 4-chlorophenol by photolytic
oxidation. Water Research, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 1323-1328, ISSN 0043-1354
Fenton, H.J.H. (1894). Oxidation of tartaric acid in presence of iron. Journal of the Chemical
Society, Vol. 65, pp. 899-901, ISSN 0368-1769
Gaya, U.I. & Abdullah, A.H. (2008). Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of organic
contaminants over titanium dioxide: A review of fundamentals, progress and
problems. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews, Vol.
9, No. 1, pp. 1-12, ISSN 1389-5567
George, C. & Chovelon, J.M. (2002). A laser flash photolysis study of the decay of SO4_ and
Cl2._ radical anions in the presence of Cl_ in aqueous solution. Chemosphere, Vol. 47,
No. 4, pp. 385–393, ISSN 0045-6535
Gonzalez, M.C.; Oliveros, E.; Wörner, M. & Braun, A.M. (2004). Vacuum-ultraviolet
photlolysis of aqueous reaction systems. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C:
Photochemistry Reviews, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 225-246, ISSN 1389-5567

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
288 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

Gryglik, D.; Olak, M. & Miller, J.S. (2010). Photodegradation kinetics of androgenic steroids
boldenone and trenbolone in aqueous solutions. Journal of Photochemistry and
Photobiology A: Chemistry, Vol. 212, No. 1, pp. 14-19, ISSN 1010-6030
Haddou, M.; Benoit-Marquié, F.; Maurette, M.T. & Oliveros, E. (2010). Oxidative
degradation of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid by Fenton and photo-Fenton process:
Kinetics, mechanisms, and evidence for the substitution of H2O2 by O2. Helvetica
Chimica Acta, Vol. 93, No. 6, pp. 1067-1080, ISSN 0018-019X
Hamilton, G.A.; Friedman, J.P. & Campbell, P.M. (1966a). The hydroxylation of anisole by
hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catalytic amounts of ferric ion and catechol.
Scope, requirements and kinetic studies. Journal of the American Chemical Society,
Vol. 88, No. 22, pp. 5266–5268, ISSN 0002-7863
Hamilton, G.A.; Hanifin Jr., J.W. & Friedman, J.P. (1966b). The hydroxylation of anisole by
hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catalytic amounts of ferric ion and catechol.
Product studies, mechanism, and relation to some enzymic reactions. Journal of the
American Chemical Society, Vol. 88, No. 22, pp. 5269–5272, ISSN 0002-7863
Henderson, M.A (2011). A surface science perspective on TiO2 photocatalysis. Surface Science
Reports, Vol. 66, No. 6-7, pp. 185-297, ISSN 0167-5729
Ho, T.L. & Bolton, J.R. (1998). Toxicity changes during the UV treatment of
pentachlorophenol in dilute aqueous solution. Water Research, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp.
489-497, ISSN 0043-1354
Huston, P.L. & Pignatello, J.J. (1999). Degradation of selected pesticide active ingredientes
and commercial formulations in water by the photoassisted Fenton reaction. Water
Research, Vol. 33, No. 5, pp. 1238-1246, ISSN 0043-1354
Jenks, W.S. (2005). The Organic Chemistry of TiO2 Photocatalysis of Aromatic
Hydrocarbons, In: Environmental Catalysis, Vicki H. Grassian, 307-346, CRC, ISBN 1-
57444-462-X, New York, USA
Kim, S.M. & Vogelpohl, A. (1998). Degradation of organic pollutants by the photo-Fenton
process. Chemical Engineering Technology, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 187-191, ISSN 0930-
7516
Kiwi, J.; Pulgarin, C. & Peringer, P. (1994). Effect of Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions on
the degradation and biodegradability of 2-nitrophenols and 4-nitrophenols in
water treatment. Applied Catalysis, B: Environmetal, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 335-350, ISSN
0926-3373
Kiwi, J., Lopez, A. & Nadtochenko, V. (2000). Mechanism and kinetics of the OH-radical
intervention during Fenton oxidation in the presence of a significant amount of
radical scavenger (Cl-). Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 34, No. 11, pp.
2162-2168, ISSN 0013-936X
Kwon, B.G.; Lee, D.S.; Kang, N. & Yoon, J. (1999). Characteristics of p-chlorophenol
oxidation by Fenton’s reagent. Water Research, Vol. 33, No. 9, pp. 2110-2118, ISSN
0043-1354
Lee, Y., J. Jeong, C. Lee, S. Kim and J. Yoon (2003) Influence of various reaction parameters
on 2,4-D removal in photo/ferrioxalate/H2O2 process. Chemosphere, Vol. 51, No.
9, pp. 901-912, ISSN 0045-6535
Legrini, O.; Oliveros, E. & Braun, A.M. (1993). Photochemical processes for water treatment.
Chemical Reviews, Vol. 93, No. 2, pp. 671-698, ISSN 0009-2665

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 289

Li, X.; Cubbage, J. W. & Jenks, W. S. (1999a). Photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol.

1. The 4-chlorocatechol pathway. Journal of Organic Chemistry, Vol. 64, No. 23, pp.
8525-8536, ISSN 0022-3263
Li, X.; Cubbage, J. W.; Tetzlaff, T. A. & Jenks, W. S., (1999b). Photocatalytic degradation of 4-
chlorophenol. 1. The hydroquinone pathway. Journal of Organic Chemistry, Vol. 64,
No. 23, pp. 8509-8524, ISSN 0022-3263
Machulek Jr., A.; Vautier-Giongo, C.; Moraes, J. E. F.; Nascimento, C. A. O. & Quina, F.H.
(2006). Laser flash photolysis study of the photocatalytic step of the photo-Fenton
reaction in saline solution. Photochemestry and Photobiology, Vol. 82, No. 1, pp. 208-
212, ISSN 0031-8655
Machulek Jr., A.; Moraes, J.E.; Vautier-Giongo, C.; Silverio, C.A.; Friedrich, L.C.;
Nascimento, C.A.O.; Gonzalez, M.C. & Quina, F.H. (2007). Abatement of the
inhibitory effect of chloride anions in the photo-Fenton process. Environmental
Science & Technology, Vol. 41, No. 24, pp. 8459-8463, ISSN 0013-936X
Machulek Jr., A.; Gogritcchiani, E.; Moraes, J.E.F.; Quina, F.H.; Braun, A.M. & Oliveros, E.
(2009a). Kinetic and mechanistic investigation of the ozonolysis of 2,4-xylidine (2,4-
dimethyl-aniline) in acid aqueous solution. Separation and Purification Technology,
Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 141-148, ISSN 1383-5866
Machulek Jr., A.; Moraes, J.E.F.; Okano, L.T.; Silvério, C.A. & Quina, F.H. (2009b). Photolysis
of ferric íon in the presence of sulfate or chloride íons: implications for the photo-
Fenton process. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, Vol. 8, No. 7, pp. 985-991,
ISSN 1474-905X
Maciel, R.; Sant'Anna Jr., G. L. & Dezotti, M. (2004). Phenol removal from high salinity
effluents using Fenton's reagent and photo-Fenton reactions. Chemosphere, Vol. 57,
No. 7, pp. 711-719, ISSN 0045-6535
Marin, M.L.; Lhiaubet-Vallet, V., Santos-Juanes, L.; Soler, J.; Gomis, J.; Arques, A.; Amat, A.
M. & Miranda, M.A. (2011). A photophysical approach to investigate the
photooxidation mechanism of pesticides: Hydroxyl radical versus electron transfer.
Applied Catalysis, B: Environmetal, Vol. 103, No. 1-2, pp. 48-53, ISSN 0926-3373
Martyanov, I.N.; Savinov, E.N. & Parmon, V.N. (1997). A comparative study of efficiency of
photooxidation of organic contaminants in water solutions in various
photochemical and photocatalytic systems. 1. Phenol photoxidation promoted by
hydrogen peroxide in a flow reactor. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A:
Chemistry, Vol. 107, No. 1-3, pp. 227-231, ISSN 1010-6030
Matilainen, A. & Sillanpää, M. (2010). Removal of natural organic matter from drinking
water by advanced oxidation processes. Chemosphere, Vol. 80, No. 4, pp. 351-365,
ISSN 0045-6535
Matthews, R.W. (1992). Photocatalytic oxidation of organic contaminants in water: An aid to
environmental preservation. Pure and Applied Chemistry, Vol. 64, No. 9, pp. 1285-
1290, ISSN 0033-4545
_ _
McElroy, W.J. (1990). A laser photolysis study of the reaction of SO4• with Cl and
_
subsequent decay of Cl2 in aqueous solution. Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 94,
No. 6, pp. 2435–2441, ISSN 0022-3654

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
290 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

Moraes, J.E.F.; Quina, F.H.; Nascimento, C.A.O.; Silva, D.N. & Chiavone-Filho, O. (2004a).
Treatment of saline wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbons by the photo-
Fenton process. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 1183-1187,
ISSN 0013-936X
Moraes, J.E.F.; Silva, D.N.; Quina, F.H.; Chiavone-Filho, O. & Nascimento, C.A.O. (2004b).
Utilization of solar energy in the photodegradation of gasoline in water and of oil-
field-produced water. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 38, No. 13, pp. 3746-
3751, ISSN 0013-936X
Nadtochenko, V.A. & Kiwi, J. (1998). Photolysis of Fe(OH)2+ and Fe(Cl)2+ in aqueous
solution. Photodissociation kinetics and quantum yields. Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.
37, No. 20, pp. 5233-5238, ISSN 0020-1669
Nascimento, C.A.O.; Teixeira, A.C.S.C.; Guardani, R.; Quina, F.H.; Chiavone-Filho, O. &
Braun, A.M. (2007). Industrial wastewater treatment by photochemical processes
based on solar energy. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Vol. 129, No. 1, pp. 45-52,
ISSN 0199-6231
Nascimento, C.A.O.; Oliveros, E. & Braun, A.M. (1994). Neural-network modeling of
photochemical processes. Chemical Engineering Process, Vol. 33, No. 5, pp. 319-324,
ISSN 0255-2701
Nichela, D.; Haddou, M.; Benoit-Marquié, F.; Maurette, M.T.; Oliveros, E. & Einschlag,
F.S.G. (2010). Degradation kinetics of hydroxy and hydroxynitro derivates
of benzoic acid by Fenton-like and photo-Fenton techniques: A comparative
study. Applied Catalysis, B: Environmetal, Vol. 98, No. 3-4, pp. 171-179, ISSN 0926-
3373
Nogueira, R.F.P.; Silva, M.R.A. & Trovó, A.G. (2005). Influence of iron source on the solar
photo-Fenton degradation of different classes of organic compounds. Solar Energy,
Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 384-392 , ISSN 0038-092X
Oliveros, E.; Benoit-Marquie, F.; Puech-Costes, E.; Maurette, M.T. & Nascimento, C.A.O.
(1998). Neural network modeling of the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-
dihydroxybenzoic acid in aqueous solution. Analusis, Vol. 26, No. 8, pp. 326-332,
ISSN 0365-4877
Oliveros, E.; Legrini, O.; Hohl, M.; Müller, T. & Braun, A.M. (1997). Industrial waste water
treatment: Large scale development of a light-enhanced Fenton reaction. Chemical
Engineering and Processing, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 397-405, ISSN 0255-2701
Pignatello, J.J. (1992). Dark and photoassisted Fe3+- catalysed degradation of chlorophenoxy
herbicides by hydrogen-peroxide. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 26, No.
5, pp. 944-951, ISSN 0013-936X
Pignatello, J.J.; Liu, D. & Huston, P. (1999). Evidence for an additional oxidant in
photoassisted Fenton reaction. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 33, No. 11,
pp. 1832-1839, ISSN 0013-936X
Pignatello, J.J; Oliveros, E. & Mackay, A. (2006). Advanced oxidation processes for organic
contaminant destruction based on the Fenton reaction and related chemistry.
Critical Reviews in Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 1-84.
Errata. (2007). Critical Reviews in Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 37, No. 3,
pp. 273-275, ISSN 1064-3389

www.intechopen.com
Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of
the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants 291

Pontes, R.F.F.; Moraes, J.E.F; Machulek, A. & Pinto, J.M. (2010). A mechanistic kinetic model
for phenol degradation by the Fenton process. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol.
176, No. 1-3, pp. 402-413, ISSN 0304-3894
Pozdnyakov. I. P.; Glebov, E. M.; Plyusnin, V. F.; Grivin, V. P.; Ivanov, Y. V.; Vorobyev, D.
Y. & Bazhin, N. M. (2000). Mechanism of Fe(OH)2+(aq) photolysis in aqueous
solution. Pure and Applied Chemistry, Vol. 72, No. 11, pp. 2187-2197, ISSN 0033-
4545
Puigdomenech, I. (April 2010). Chemical Equilibrium Diagrams, 14.07.2011, Available from
http://www.kemi.kth.se/medusa
Ruppert, G.; Bauer, R. & Heisler, G. (1993). The photo-Fenton reaction - an effective
photochemical wastewater treatment process. Journal of Photochemistry and
Photobiology A: Chemistry, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 75-78, ISSN 1010-6030
Silva, M.R.A.; Vilegas, W.; Zanoni, M.V.B. & Nogueira, R.F.P. (2010). Photo-Fenton
degradation of the herbicide tebuthiuron under solar irradiation: Iron complexation
and initial intermediates. Water Research, Vol. 44, No. 12, pp. 3745-3753, ISSN 0043-
1354
Soler, J.; García-Ripoll, A.; Hayek, N.; Miró, P.; Vicente, R.; Arques, A. & Amat, A.M. (2009).
Effect of inorganic íons on the solar detoxification of water polluted with pesticides.
Water Research, Vol. 43, No. 18, pp. 4441-4450, ISSN 0043-1354
Sonntag, C. von. (2008). Advanced oxidation processes: mechanistic aspects. Water Science &
Technology, Vol. 58, No. 5, pp. 1015-1021, ISSN 0273-1223
Trovó, A.G. & Nogueira, R.F.P. (2011). Diclofenac abatement using modified solar photo-
Fenton process with ammonium iron(III) citrate. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical
Society, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 1033-1039, ISSN 0103-5053
Truong, G.L.; De Laat, J. & Legube, B. (2004). Effects of chloride and sulfate on the rate of
oxidation of ferrous ion by H2O2. Water Research, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 2384-2394, ISSN
0043-1354
Yu, X.-Y. & Barker, J. R. (2003a). Hydrogen Peroxide Photolysis in Acidic Aqueous Solutions
Containing Chloride Ions. I.Chemical Mechanism. Journal of Physical Chemistry A,
Vol. 107, No. 9, pp. 1313-1324, ISSN 1089-5639
Yu, X.-Y. & Barker, J. R. (2003b). Hydrogen Peroxide Photolysis in Acidic Aqueous Solutions
Containing Chloride Ions. II.Quantum Yield of HO• (Aq) Radicals. Journal of
Physical Chemistry A, Vol. 107, No. 9, pp. 1325-1332, ISSN 1089-5639
Yu, X.-Y. (2004). Critical Evolution of Rate Constants and Equilibrium Constants of
Hydrogen Peroxide Photolysis in Acidic Aqueous Solutions containing Chloride
Ions. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 747-763, ISSN
0047-2689
Yu, X.Y., Bao, Z-C. & Barker, J.R. (2004). Free radical reactions involving Cl•, Cl2•_ and SO4•_
in the 248 nm photolysis of aqueous solutions containing S2O82_ and Cl_. Journal of
Physical Chemistry A, Vol. 108, No. 2, pp. 295–308, ISSN 1089-5639
Yue, P.L. (1993). Modelling of kinetics and reactor for water purification by photooxidation.
Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 1-11, ISSN 0009-2509

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After
292 the Stockholm Convention – Environmental and Analytical Update

Zanta, C.L.P.S., Friedrich, L.C., Machulek Jr., A, Higa, K.M. & Quina, F.H. (2010). Surfactant
degradation by a catechol-driven Fenton reaction. Journal of Hazardous Materials,
Vol. 178, No. 1-3, pp. 258-263, ISSN 0304-3894
Zapata, A.; Oller, I.; Bizani, E.; Sánches-Pérez, J.A.; Maldonado, M.I. & Malato, S. (2009).
Evaluation of operational parameters involved in solar photo-Fenton degradation
of a commercial pesticide mixture. Catalysis Today, Vol. 144, No. 1-2, pp. 94-99, ISSN
0920-5861
Zazo, J.A.; Pliego, G.; Blasco, S.; Casas, J.A. & Rodriguez, J.J (2011). Intensification of the
Fenton process by increasing the temperature. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
Research, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 866-870, ISSN 0888-5885

www.intechopen.com
 Organic Pollutants Ten Years After the Stockholm Convention -
Environmental and Analytical Update
Edited by Dr. Tomasz Puzyn

ISBN 978-953-307-917-2
Hard cover, 472 pages
Publisher InTech
Published online 24, February, 2012
Published in print edition February, 2012

Ten years after coming into force of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), a
wide range of organic chemicals (industrial formulations, plant protection products, pharmaceuticals and
personal care products, etc.) still poses the highest priority environmental hazard. The broadening of
knowledge of organic pollutants (OPs) environmental fate and effects, as well as the decontamination
techniques, is accompanied by an increase in significance of certain pollution sources (e.g. sewage sludge and
dredged sediments application, textile industry), associated with a potential generation of new dangers for
humans and natural ecosystems. The present book addresses these aspects, especially in the light of Organic
Pollutants risk assessment as well as the practical application of novel analytical methods and techniques for
removing OPs from the environment. Providing analytical and environmental update, this contribution can be
particularly valuable for engineers and environmental scientists.

How to reference
In order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following:

Amilcar Machulek Jr., Frank H. Quina, Fabio Gozzi, Volnir O. Silva, Leidi C. Friedrich and José E. F. Moraes
(2012). Fundamental Mechanistic Studies of the Photo-Fenton Reaction for the Degradation of Organic
Pollutants, Organic Pollutants Ten Years After the Stockholm Convention - Environmental and Analytical
Update, Dr. Tomasz Puzyn (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-917-2, InTech, Available from:
http://www.intechopen.com/books/organic-pollutants-ten-years-after-the-stockholm-convention-environmental-
and-analytical-update/fundamental-mechanistic-studies-of-the-photo-fenton-reaction-for-the-degradation-of-
organic-pollutan

InTech Europe InTech China

University Campus STeP Ri Unit 405, Office Block, Hotel Equatorial Shanghai
Slavka Krautzeka 83/A No.65, Yan An Road (West), Shanghai, 200040, China
51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Phone: +385 (51) 770 447 Phone: +86-21-62489820
Fax: +385 (51) 686 166 Fax: +86-21-62489821
www.intechopen.com