Title Investigation of WO3 and BiVO4 photoanodes for photoelectrochemical sensing of xylene, toluene and methanol /
Authors Petrulevičienė, Milda ; Savickaja, Irena ; Juodkazytė, Jurga ; Ramanavičius, Arūnas
DOI 10.3390/chemosensors11110552
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Is Part of Chemosensors.. Basel : MDPI AG. 2023, vol. 11, iss. 11, art. no. 552, p. 1-14.. eISSN 2227-9040
Keywords [eng] photoelectrochemistry ; volatile organic compounds ; photoanode ; tungsten oxide ; bismuth vanadate ; detection
Abstract [eng] Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a notable group of indoor air pollutants released by household products. These substances are commonly employed as solvents in industrial operations, and some of them are recognized or suspected to be cancer-causing or mutagenic agents. Due to their high volatility, VOCs are typically present in surface waters at concentrations below a few micrograms per liter. However, in groundwater, their concentrations can reach levels up to thousands of times higher. This study analyses the applicability of the photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing of VOCs in aqueous medium. Tungsten oxide and bismuth vanadate photoanodes were tested for PEC sensing of xylene, toluene, and methanol in sodium chloride and sodium sulfate electrolytes. The crystalline structure and morphology of coatings were analyzed using XRD and SEM analyses. Photoelectrochemical properties were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of the study show that aromatic compounds tend to block the surface of the photoelectrode and interfere with the PEC sensing of other substances. WO3 photoanode is found to be suitable for the PEC sensing of methanol under the mild conditions in aqueous electrolytes; however, electrode engineering and assay optimization are required to achieve better detection limits.
Published Basel : MDPI AG
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2023
CC license CC license description