Reversible photodeposition and dissolution of metal ions
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Colorado
InventorsNancy S. Foster, Carl A. Koval, Richard D. Noble
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Abstract
A cyclic photocatalytic process for treating waste water containing metal and organic contaminants. In one embodiment of the method, metal ions are photoreduced onto the photocatalyst and the metal concentrated by resolubilization in a smaller volume. In another embodiment of the method, contaminant organics are first oxidized, then metal ions removed by photoreductive deposition. The present invention allows the photocatalyst to be recycled until nearly complete removal of metal ions and organic contaminants is achieved.
Claims11
A photocatalytic method for removing metal contaminants from an aqueous phase comprising:
- a) contacting a first solution containing metal contaminants with a semiconductor photocatalyst;
- b) illuminating said first solution whereby said metal is photodeposited onto said photocatalyst forming a metal-photocatalyst complex;
- c) separating said metal-photocatalyst complex from said first solution;
- d) contacting said metal-photocatalyst complex with a second solution whereby said metal is resolubilized;
- e) separating said resolubilized metal and photocatalyst, and
- f) reusing said separated photocatalyst in step a.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.