AQUATIC PHOTOLYSIS OF OXY-ORGANIC COMPOUNDS ADSORBED ON GOETHITE.

Organic materials that will not absorb light at wavelengths longer than 295 nanometers (the solar wavelength cutoff) may nevertheless, undergo electron transfer reactions initiated by light. These reactions occur when the organic materials are adsorbed as ligand complexes to the surface of iron oxy-hydroxide (goethite). The adsorbed materials can be either inner or outer coordination sphere complexes. Goethite was chosen as the iron oxyhydroxide surface because it has the highest thermodynamic stability of any of the oxyhydroxides in water and it can be synthesized easily, with high purity.