Catalytic effect of transition metals on microwave-induced degradation of atrazine in mineral micropores

Abstract

With their high catalytic activity for redox reactions, transition metal ions (Cu2+ and Fe3+) were exchanged into the micropores of dealuminated Y zeolites to prepare effective microporous mineral sorbents for sorption and microwave-induced degradation of atrazine. Due to its ability to complex with atrazine, loading of copper greatly increased the sorption of atrazine. Atrazine sorption on iron-exchanged zeolites was also significantly enhanced, which was attributed to the hydrolysis of Fe3+ polycations in mineral micropores and electrostatic interactions of protonated atrazine molecules with the negatively charged pore wall surface. Copper and iron species in the micropores also significantly accelerated degradation of the sorbed atrazine (and its degradation intermediates) under microwave irradiation. The catalytic effect was attributed to the easy reducibility and high oxidation activity of Cu2+ and Fe3+ species stabilized in the micropores of the zeolites. It was postulated that the surface species of transition metals (monomeric Cu2+, Cu2+–O–Cu2+ complexes, FeO+, and dinuclear Fe–O–Fe-like species) in the mineral micropores were thermally activated under microwave irradiation, and subsequently formed highly reactive sites catalyzing oxidative degradation of atrazine. The transition metal-exchanged zeolites, particularly the iron-exchanged ones, were relatively stable when leached under acidic conditions, which suggests that they are reusable in sorption and microwave-induced degradation. These findings offer valuable insights on designing of effective mineral sorbents that can selectively uptake atrazine from aqueous solutions and catalyze its degradation under microwave irradiation.