Photocatalytic transformation of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous media using suspended, water-insoluble metallophthalocyanine complexes

Abstract

Unsubstituted magnesium (MgPc), zinc (ZnPc) and chloroaluminium (ClAlPc) phthalocyanine complexes and the ring substituted zinc tetranitro (ZnPc(NO₂)₄), zinc tetraamino (ZnPc(NH₂)₄), zinc hexadecafluoro (ZnPcF₁₆) and zinc hexadecachloro (ZnPcCl₁₆), phthalocyanine complexes are employed as photocatalysts for the heterogeneous transformation of 4-nitrophenol (4-Np) to fumaric acid and 4-nitrocatechol. ClAlPc is the best catalyst, with 89 ± 8% degradation of 4-Np after 100 min. The least effective catalysts were ZnPcCl₁₆ and MgPc.

Keywords:

• Nitrophenol
• Photocatalysis
• Heterogeneous
• Zinc phthalocyanine
• Magnesium phthalocyanine
• Aluminium phthalocyanine

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Rhodes University and National Research Foundation (NRF, Gun = 2053657) in South Africa. EM thanks DAAD (South Africa) for graduate bursary.