Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide on nanoporous activated carbons: Effect of surface chemistry

Abstract

Three different nanoporous activated carbons (NACs) were studied in the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The most active NAC catalysts are those produced from a macroporous vinyl pyridine resin. They can potentially be used in water treatment processes for catalytic oxidation of organic pollutants. The catalytic activity of NACs depends on the concentration of surface oxygen-containing groups. The oxidation of NACs with nitric acid solutions decreases the catalytic activity by 2 to 7 times. This decrease is explained by the deactivation of the active centers of the surface during oxidation. Thermal treatment of oxidized NACs in argon restores catalytic activity. This restoration occurs due to the removal of surface oxygen-containing groups and the regeneration of active centers. Some NAC catalysts obtained by thermal treatment of oxidized NAC samples at 800 °C have higher catalytic activity than the initial NAC samples.