Electron transfer mediation by aqueous C_(60) aggregates in H2O2/UV advanced oxidation of indigo carmine

摘要

C_(60) fullerene has long been known to exhibit favorable electron accepting and shuttling properties, but little is known about the possibility of electron transfer mediation by fullerene aggregates (nC_(60)) in water. In this study, we investigated the electron shuttling capabilities of nC_(60) using UV/H2O2 as a model oxidation process in the presence of an electron donor, indigo carmine (IC). nC_(60) addition to the IC/H2O2 system was found to drastically increase IC degradation and shift the reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance, favoring the formation of superoxide and perhydroxyl radical species compared to hydroxyl radicals. Results indicate that nC_(60) can act as an electron mediator, where the adsorbed IC donates an electron to nC_(60), which is subsequently transferred to H2O2 or perhydroxyl radical.