Fe(III)-, Co(II)- and Ni(II)-impregnated MCM41 for wet oxidative destruction of 2,4-dichlorophenol in water

Chlorinated phenols, which enter water through effluents of petroleum and organochemical industry, are resistant to biological oxidation and are considered as problem pollutants. 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), a member of the group, was chosen as the target compound in this study for destruction with wet oxidation using MCM41 impregnated with Fe(III)-, Co(II)- and Ni(II)-ions as the catalysts. The oxidation was carried out both in presence and in absence of H2O2 in a stirred reactor at 353 K under autogenous pressure of 0.2 MPa, catalyst load of ≥2 g/L and 2,4-DCP concentration of ≤10−3 M. 2,4-DCP destruction in a 1:1 molar mixture with H2O2 was 12.6, 19.7 and 35.4% with Fe(III)-, Ni(II)-, and Co(II)-MCM41, respectively, in 15 min of reaction time and was 38.6, 55.1 and 50.4% in 300 min. The oxidation was successful even without H2O2 when 18.9–45.7, 19.7–60.6 and 37.8–56.7% of 2,4-DCP was destroyed with Fe(III)-, Ni(II)- and Co(II)-MCM41, respectively, in 15–300 min. The effects of reaction time, catalyst load, 2,4-DCP concentration, reactant mole ratio, etc., were evaluated with suggestion of the possible mechanism. Fe(III)-, Co(II)- and Ni(II)-MCM41 have been shown to hold promise for wet catalytic destruction of 2,4-DCP.