Selectivity in photocatalysis by particulate semiconductors

TiO(2), Fe(2)O(3), CuO, ZnO, ZnS, Nb(2)O(5), MoO(3), CdO, CdS, Sb(2)O(3), CeO(2), HgO, Pb(2)O(3), PbO(2) and Bi(2)O(3) microparticles exhibit band gap excitation with UV-A light but they are selective to photodegrade phenols. While TiO(2) anatase and ZnO photocatalyze the degradation of phenol, o-aminophenol, m-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, o-chlorophenol, m-chlorophenol, p-chlorophenol, o-nitrophenol, p-nitrophenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, catechol, resorcinol and quinol, MoO(3) does not photodegrade any of the fifteen phenols. Fe(2)O(3), CuO, ZnS, Nb(2)O(5), CdO, CdS, Sb(2)O(3), CeO(2), HgO, Pb(2)O(3), PbO(2) and Bi(2)O(3) are selective in photodegrading the fifteen phenols; however, the phenols get adsorbed over all sixteen particulate semiconductors.