Reductive approach in the degradation of phenols with zero‐valent iron in aqueous media

Abstract

Treatment of p‐cresol and other substituted phenols in aqueous media with Fe as electron donor, an acid as proton provider and a reduction catalyst was carried out as to mimic the treatment of phenolic wastewaters, in a first attempt of a reductive decontamination. From the various combinations tested, best results were obtained with a mixture of 7 mmol Fe, 9 mL 0.8 M H2SO4 and 0.1 g Rh/C. The parent cyclohexanols were obtained quantitatively after only 50 minutes of shaking, at room temperature, at pH ~ 0.1. The effect of weight ratio phenol: reagents as well as the influence of the reaction time were studied. A reaction pathway was also proposed. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: 483–488, 2019