Effect of H₂O and O₂ on the Adsorption and Degradation of Acetaldehyde on Anatase Surfaces—An In Situ ATR-FTIR Study

The effect of H₂O and O₂ on the adsorption and degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde on the anatase TiO₂ surface has been studied, in the dark and upon UV illumination, at ambient temperatures. The processes occurring at the surface have been elucidated by means of in situ ATR–FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection—Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy, while gas detectors allowed the analysis of the adducts and products in the gas phase. In the dark and under dry conditions acetaldehyde reacts independently of the atmosphere, upon aldol condensation to crotonaldehyde. However, under humid conditions, this reaction was prevented due to the replacement of the adsorbed acetaldehyde molecules, by water molecules. Upon UV illumination under oxygenic conditions, acetaldehyde was decomposed to acetate and formate. Under an N₂ atmosphere, the formation of acetate and formate was observed during the first hour of illumination, until all adsorbed oxygen had been consumed. In the absence of molecular oxygen acetate, methane, and CO₂ were detected, the formation of which most likely involved the participation of the bridging O atoms, within the TiO₂ lattice.