Heterogeneous Fenton Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water Enhanced by Combining Iron-type Layered Double Hydroxide and Sulfate

Abstract

Water pollution derived from organic pollutants is one of the global environmental problems. The Fenton reaction using Fe²⁺ as a homogeneous catalyst has been known as one of clean methods for oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. Here, a layered double hydroxide (Fe²⁺ Al³⁺ -LDH) containing Fe²⁺ and Al³⁺ in the structure was used to develop a "heterogeneous" Fenton catalyst capable of mineralizing organic pollutants. We found that sulfate ion (SO₄ ^2- ) immobilized on the Fe²⁺ Al³⁺ -LDH significantly facilitated oxidative degradation (mineralization) of phenol as a model compound of water pollutants to carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) in a heterogeneous Fenton process. The phenol conversion and mineralization efficiency to CO₂ reached >99% and ca. 50%, respectively, even with a reaction time of only 60 min.

Keywords: Fenton reaction; Heterogeneous; Iron-typed layered double hydroxide; Oxidative degradation; Sulfate ion.