Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences - Department of Laser Application Enviromental Metrology Photochemistry , Photobioloy and Agriculture

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have carcinogenic and mutagenic activity and represent a large class of persistent organic pollutants in an environment so contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is considered an important health issue due to the toxicity of these compounds. Anthracene is one of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this paper, we focus on and discuss photocatalytic oxidation of anthracene aqueous ethanol and anthracene emulsion solution under light irradiation in closed system reactor by using Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) and NiO/ZnO nanocomposites as efficient photocatalysts to convert anthracene to safer compound represented by benzoic acid, 4-formyl, ethyl ester (98.23%) and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, isopropyl methyl ester (0.85%).The photocatalysts were prepared in presence or absence of SDS surfactant by low temperature method or chemical method in an air atmosphere. Additionally, the photocatalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry

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