ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of m-cresol over Fe/γ-Al2O3 and Fe–Ce/γ-Al2O3

Pei-Juan Liu, Huang-Zhao Wei, Song-Bo He, and Cheng-Lin Sun

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China

E-mail: clsun@dicp.ac.cn

Abstract: Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of m-cresol over Fe/γ-Al₂O₃ and Fe-Ce/γ-Al₂O₃ was studied. Catalysts were prepared using the incipient wetness impregnation method, and characterized using XRD, XPS, BET, and SEM techniques. Effects of Ce loading, H₂O₂ dose, initial solution pH, reaction temperature, and m-cresol concentration on the CWPO of m-cresol were investigated in detail. The results showed that an addition of 2 mass % Ce into Fe/γ-Al₂O₃ resulted in better catalytic activity over a wider pH range and at lower reaction temperatures, and with lower H₂O₂ consumption than when using the Fe/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts only. The best catalytic activity was obtained using the Fe-Ce-2 catalyst with complete m-cresol degradation, 43.2 % TOC removal using 100 mmol L⁻¹ H₂O₂ at pH 4.0 and 60°C in 90 min. XPS showed that an addition of 2 mass % Ce increased the density of non-lattice oxygen on the catalyst surface facilitating electron transfer and thereby producing radicals and promoting catalytic activity in the CWPO reaction. Recycling experiments showed that Fe-Ce-2 retained its activity even after six subsequent runs without changing the morphology, and that iron ions did not significantly leach from the catalyst surface.

Keywords: Fe/γ-Al2O3 – Fe-Ce/γ-Al2O3 – m-cresol – non-lattice oxygen – catalytic wet peroxide oxidation – influence of reaction parameters

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0028

Chemical Papers 69 (6) 827–838 (2015)