Enhanced photodegradation of bisphenol A in the presence of β‐cyclodextrin under UV light

Abstract Enhancement of the photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) was investigated under a 30 W UV disinfection lamp (λmax = 254 nm). The photodegradation rate of BPA in aqueous solutions with β‐CD was faster than that in aqueous solutions without β‐CD; for example, after 50 min of UV irradiation, β‐CD had increased the photodegradation efficiency by about 46.5% for 10 mg dm−3 BPA. The photodegradation of 2.5–20 mg dm−3 BPA in aqueous solutions was found to follow pseudo‐first‐order kinetics. The first‐order rate constant showed a 12‐fold increase in the presence of β‐CD. Factors such as β‐CD concentration, pH, BPA initial concentration and organic solvent influencing the photodegradation of BPA were studied and are described in detail. Variations in the pH and electrical conductivity of solutions were observed during the photodegradation process. The enhancement of photodegradation of BPA results mainly from the lower bond energy between some atoms in the BPA molecule after inclusion interaction with β‐CD. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry