intermediates, possible photocatalytic degradation pathways for
benzene are proposed in Scheme 1. Under our experimental
conditions, hydroxyl radicals (OH•) have been regarded as a
key species in the photocatalytic degradation of benzene; in the
presence of O2, these radicals can react with benzene to form
various alkyl radicals, such as CH3•, CH3CH2•, and so on. After a
series of free radical reactions, the benzene molecules were
degraded into ring‐opened products and some shorter aliphatics;
finally, they were mineralized to CO2 and H2O.