Enhanced hydrolysis of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane by multi-walled carbon nanotube/TiO2 nanocomposites: The synergistic effect

Abstract

Once released into the environment, engineered nanomaterials can significantly influence the transformation and fate of organic contaminants. To date, the abilities of composite nanomaterials to catalyze environmentally relevant abiotic transformation reactions of organic contaminants are largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the effects of two nanocomposites – consisting of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) with different predominantly exposed crystal facets (i.e., {101} or {001} facets) anchored to hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNT) – on the hydrolysis of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TeCA), a common groundwater contaminant, at ambient pH (6, 7 and 8). Both OH-MWCNT/TiO2 nanocomposites were more effective in catalyzing the dehydrochlorination of TeCA than the respective component materials (i.e., bare OH-MWCNT and bare TiO2). Moreover, the synergistic effect of the two components was evident, in that the incorporation of OH-MWCNT increased the TeCA adsorption capacity of the nanocomposites, significantly enhancing the catalytic effect of the deprotonated hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on nanocomposite surfaces, which served as the main catalytic sites for TeCA hydrolysis. The findings may have important implications for the understanding of the environmental implications of composite nanomaterials and may shed light on the design of high-performance nanocomposites for enhanced contaminant removal.