• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.292-298
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• 2003

In this study, the photooxidation and ozonation of humic acid (HA) in aqueous solution were conducted and the treated HA samples at different reaction time were analyzed using ultrafiltration techniques to evaluate the change of their molecular size distributions with its DOC removal. Molecular size distribution of untreated HA showed 41.5% in higher molecular size fractions (>30,000 daltons) and 15.2% in much smaller molecular size fraction (<500 daltons). As UV irradiation time was increased, it was observed that the degradation of the large molecules of the fraction of >30,000 daltons into much smaller molecules was increased. In UV system, the HA molecules of the fraction of <500 daltons became significantly more and its percentage was increased from 35.3% (UV only irradiation) to 58.9% ($UV/TiO_2$) and 87.8% ($UV/H_2O_2$) in the presence of the photocatalysis. Otherwise, ozonation of HA produced mainly the fraction of medium molecular size ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 daltons with much lower portion (<~7%) in the fraction of <500 daltons. In ozone only system, the fraction of 30,000~10,000 daltons occupied in 41.5% at 60 min of ozonation time. In $O_3/H_2O_2$ system, the fraction of 30,000~10,000 daltons and 10,000~3,000 daltons occupied in 38.9% and 36.2% respectively. Based on these results, we suggested applicable treatment process which could be combined with $UV/H_2O_2$, $UV/TiO_2$ and $O_3$, $O_3/H_2O_2$ system for more effective removal of humic acid in water treatment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.917-925
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• 2006

The aim of our research was to apply experimental design methodology in the optimization of photocatalytic degradation of azo dye(Reactive orange 16). The reactions were mathematically described as a function of parameters amount of $TiO_2(x_1)$, and dye concentration($x_2$) being modeled by the use of the Box-Behnken method. The results show that the responses of color removal(%)($Y_1$) in photocatalysis of dyes were significantly affected by the synergistic effect of linear term of $TiO_2(x_1)$ and dye concentration($x_2$). Significant factors and synergistic effects for the $COD_{Cr}$, removal(%)($Y_2$) were the linear term of $TiO_2(x_1)$ and dye concentration($x_2$). However, the quadratic term of $TiO_2(x_1^2)$ and dye concentration($x_2^2$) had an antagonistic effect on $Y_1$ and $Y_2$ responses. Canonical analysis indicates that the stationary point was a saddle point for $Y_1$ and $Y_2$, respectively. The estimated ridge of maximum responses and optimal conditions for $Y_1:(X_1,\;X_2)$=(1.11 g/L, 51.2 mg/L) and $Y_2:(X_1,\;X_2)$=(1.42 g/L, 72.83 mg/L) using canonical analysis was 93% and 73%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.397-406
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• 2015

ZnO, II-VI group inorganic compound semi-conductor, has been receiving much attention due to its wide applications in various fields. Since the ZnO has 3.37 eV of a wide band gap and 60 meV of big excitation binding energy, it is well-known material for various uses such the optical property, a semi-conductor, magnetism, antibiosis, photocatalyst, etc. When applied in the field of photocatalyst, many research studies have been actively conducted regarding magnetic materials and the core-shell structure to take on the need of recycling used materials. In this paper, magnetic core-shell ZnFe₂O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully synthesized through three steps. In order to analyze the structural characteristics of the synthesized substances, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used. The spinel structure of ZnFe₂O₄ and the wurtzite structure of ZnO were confirmed by XRD, and ZnO production rate was confirmed through the analysis of different concentrations of the precursors. The surface change of the synthesized materials was confirmed by SEM. The formation of SiO₂ layer and the synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄@ZnO@SiO₂ NPs were finally verified through the bond of Fe-O, Zn-O and Si-O-Si by FT-IR. The magnetic property of the synthesized materials was analyzed through the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The increase and decrease in the magnetism were respectively confirmed by the results of the formed ZnO and SiO₂ layer. The photocatalysis effect of the synthesized ZnFe₂O₄ @ZnO@SiO₂ NPs was experimented in a black box (dark room) using methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 1998

In an effort to reduce artifically the residual pesticides on crop and soil by accelerated photolysis,some 40 among the naturally occurring and synthetic coumpound were screened for photosensitization and/or photocatalysis and six promising chemicals were selected.The fungicides and the four selected photosensitizers and/or photocatalyst (PS) were applied to each crop.The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. The wavelengths of maximum absortion (${\lambda}$max) and the molar absorptivites (${\varepsilon}$max) of procymidone,vinclozolin,and carbendazim in acentone were all 209 nm and 853,854,and 8740 respectively. 2. Of the 40 naturally-occuring and synthetic compounds screened,six promising ones were selected and designated as PS-1 (aromatic ketone),PS-2(aromatic amine)PS-3(quinone) ,PS-4 (inorganic compound),PS-5(organic acid salt) and PS-6(semiconductor photocatalyst). 3. In the accelerated photolysis of pesticide in soil by applying PS ,procymidone was decoposed rapidly by virtue of PS-2,being 59% of the control 3 days after application. 4. The vinclozolin residue in soil was reduced to 71% and 21% of the control 1 and 15 days,respectively,after PS-2 application. 5. The photolysis of carbendazim in soil was not accelerated by any of the PS tested. 6. The pesticide residues on the crop were prominently reduced by PS application.The procymidone residue on tomato was reduced to 47% of the control 15 days after PS-1 application and that on red pepper reduced to 57% 15 days after PS-2 application. 7. Vincrozolin residus remaining on tomato 1 and 15 days after PS-2 application were 38% and 56% of the control whereas those on the red pepper were 82% and 64%,respectively. 8. PS-2 was the most effective for the accelerated photolysis of carbendazim residues remaining on tomato, whereas on red pepper, the four of PS tested were all effective, but did not make much difference between them. This might be due to the shielding of sunlight by the leaves of red pepper not to exert the photosensitizing effect of PS-2 to the full.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2011

In this study, combined effect of airflow rate, $TiO_2$ concentration, solution pH and $Ca^{+2}$ addition on HA (humic acid) fouling in submerged, photocatalytic hollow-fiber microfiltraiton was investigated systematically. Results showed that UV irradiation alone without $TiO_2$ nanoparticles could reduce HA fouling by 40% higher than the fouling obtained without UV irradiation. Compared to the HA fouling without UV irradiation and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles, the HA fouling reduction was about 25% higher only after the addition of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. Both adsorptive and hydrophilic properties of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles for the HA can be involved in mitigating membrane fouling. It was also found that the aeration itself had lowest effect on fouling mitigation while the HA fouling was affected significantly by solution pH. Transient behavior of zeta potential at different solution pHs suggested that electrostatic interactions between HA and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles should improve photocatalytic efficiency on HA fouling. $TiO_2$ concentration was observed to be more important factor than airflow rate to reduce HA fouling, implying that surface reactivity on $TiO_2$ naoparticles should be important fouling mitigation mechanisms in submerged, photocatalyic microfiltraiton. This was further supported by investigating the effect of $Ca^{+2}$ addition on fouling mitigation. At higher pH (= 10), addition of $Ca^{+2}$ can play an important role in bridging between HA and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles and increasing surface reactivity on nanoparticles, thereby reducing membrane fouling.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.584-595
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• 2021

In this study, the correlation between operating stages of waste air-treating system composed of two alternatively-operating UV/photocatalytic reactors, and the deactivation of photocatalyst used in each operating stage, was investigated by instrumental analysis thereon. The repeated deactivation and subsequent re-generation of photocatalyst used in the waste air treating system of previous investigation performed by Lee and Lim (Korean Chem. Eng. Research, 59(4), 574-583(2021)), were characterized on virgin photocatalyst-carrying porous SiO₂ media (A4), used photocatalyst-carrying porous SiO₂ media (A1, A2 and A3) collected from the corresponding photocatalytic reactor upon 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd run, respectively, regenerated photocatalyst-carrying porous SiO₂ media upon 1 time-run (AD1) and 3 times regenerated photocatalyst-carrying porous SiO₂ media upon 3 time-runs (AD3) by instrumental analysis including BET analysis, SEM, XPS, SEM-EDS and FT-IR. As a result, the proper regeneration-temperature for deactivated photocatalyst to be regenerated several times (more than 3 times), was suggested below 200 ℃. Such temperature of deactivated photocatalyst-regeneration was almost consistent to the one, according to BET analysis, at which tiny nano-pores blocked by adsorbed ethanol-oxidative and degraded intermediates (AEODI), were regenerated to be reopened through almost complete mineralization of AEODI. In particular, the results of XPS analysis indicated an incurrence of insignificant deactivation of photocatalysis upon 1^st run of UV/photocatalytic reactor (A or C) of the previous investigation. In addition, the results of XPS analysis were consistent with the experimental results of the previous investigation in that 1) deactivation of photocatalyst incurred during 2^nd run of the UV/photocatalytic reactor (A or C) resulted in decreased removal efficiency, by ca. 5% and 5%, of ethanol and hydrogen sulfide, respectively, compared with its 1^st run; 2) there was insignificant difference between the removal efficiencies of its 2^nd run and 3^rd run. Furthermore, the removal efficiencies of ethanol and hydrogen sulfide for hypothetical 4^th run of photocatalytic reactor in the previous investigation, using AD3, were expected to decrease, compared with its 3^rd run, by much more than those for 2^nd run in the previous investigation did, compared with its 1^st run.