Synergic Effects of Photocatalytic and Enzymatic Degradation of Dibenzothiophene by Titania Nanolayer Coated on Glass and Intracellular Enzymes

Abstract

To remove sulfur compounds in petroleum, the authors prepared intracellular enzymes that could degrade dibenzothiophene (DBT) in the presence of titania nanolayer coated on glass as photocatalyst. The titania nanolayer was synthesized by the sol–gel method coated on glass by doctor blade method using titanium tetra isopropoxide (TTIP) as precursor and characterized by Fourier transmission infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy (DRS). The enzymatic action of the intracellular enzymes in aqueous media containing a titania was evaluated as a feasible system for the degradation of dibenzothiophene as a model sulfur compound. Dibenzothiophene was degraded to a large extent after a very short period of 20 min. Intracellular enzymes in the presence of titania nanolayer possess synergic effect in photocatalytic and enzymatic degradation of dibenzothiophene by titania nanolayer coated on glass using doctor blade method and intracellular enzymes.

Keywords:

• synergic effects
• photocatalytic
• dibenzothiophene
• enzymatic degradation
• desulfurization

Funding

This work has been financially supported by Iran National Science Foundation: INSF (project no. 90008170) and the University of Isfahan.