Catalytic Wet Oxidation of Phenols

Phenol and its analogues such as 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol are persistent and toxic organic compounds, harmful to organisms and humans even at low concentrations. Biological oxidation used for removing organics from industrial effluents is not suitable for these compounds and catalytic wet oxidation is one of the major alternatives for their destruction. The main objective of our research is preparation of mesoporous MCM-41 material with incorporation of transition metals like Fe, Co, Ni, Mn into the framework sites, physico-chemical characterization of the catalyst and testing the catalytic activity of MCM41-supported metal catalysts for wet oxidation of phenol and its analogues in water with the aim of destroying these contaminants. Consequently, we have optimized the catalysts and the reaction conditions for catalytic wet oxidation of phenol and its analogues, analyzed the products by GC-MS and established the mechanism of oxidation of the phenolic compounds, examined the catalysts with respect to their leaching characteristics and hence, evaluating their green chemistry role during their utilization.