Study of solid/gas phase photocatalytic reactions by electron ionization mass spectrometry

This paper describes a novel methodology for the real-time study of solid–gas phase photocatalytic reactions in situ. A novel reaction chamber has been designed and developed to facilitate the investigation of photoactive materials under different gas compositions. UV irradiation in the wavelength of ranges 376–387 and 381–392 nm was provided using specially designed high efficiency light emitting diode arrays. The experiments used air containing 190 ppm NO2 in a moist environment with a relative humidity of 0.1%. Photocatalytic samples consisting of pressed pellets of rutile and anatase crystalline forms of TiO2 were monitored over a period of 150 min. An ultra-high vacuum right angled bleed valve allowed a controlled flow of gas from the main reaction chamber at atmospheric pressure to a residual gas analyser operating at a vacuum of 10−5 mbar. The apparatus and methodology have been demonstrated to provide high sensitivity (ppb). The rate of degradation of NO2 attributed to reaction at the TiO2 surface was sensitive to both crystal structures (anatase or rutile) and wavelength of irradiation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.