Title: Influence of AgYzeolite on the photocatalyticoxidation of pirimicarb

Authors: Sofian M. Kanan; Imad A. Abu-Yousef; Naser Abdo; Amer A.G. Al Abdel Hamid

Addresses: Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, UAE ' Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, UAE ' Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, UAE ' Department of Chemistry, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan

Abstract: Silver clusters were incorporated into the Y zeolite framework and used as a photocatalyst toward pirimicarb. X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low-temperature steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopic data indicate the formation of metallic silver as well as ionic clusters. The photodecomposition of the pirimicarb pesticide is enhanced in the presence of silver doped into zeolite Y; where the observed rate constant in the presence of the catalyst is 2.2 × 10⁻² min⁻¹ compared to the rate constant of 7.0 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹ for the uncatalysed irradiated pirimicarb solution. GC-MS indicates that while pirimicarb alone was hydrolysed into N-N-dimethylcarbamic acid and 2-dimethylamino-5,6-dimethylpyrimidin-4-ol; the presence of AgY catalyst produced the selective oxidation product 4-dimethylcarbamoyloxy-5,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl-carbimic acid.

Keywords: pirimicarb; silver clusters; Ag; zeolite Y; catalyst; luminescence; XPS; photocatalyticoxidation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.067007

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.370 - 382

Received: 06 Jan 2012
Accepted: 28 Dec 2012
Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article