Investigation Of Fenton Catalysts Suitable For The Degradation Of Aqueous Pollutants At Neutral Ph.

Unprecedented population growth has led to a resource constrained planet, with limited access to clean water. Many organic wastewater contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and azo dyes are not removed by traditional methods of waste water purification, and are common in streams and rivers. The Fenton reaction, among other advanced oxidation processes, has been successfully used to degrade organic pollutants in waste water. This process traditionally requires a soluble iron catalyst and hydrogen peroxide oxidant at low pH. Neutral pH limits the solubility of iron, slowing the production of hydroxyl radicals. However, recent results suggest that the reaction proceeded readily at neutral pH, contradicting extensive literature. The effect of pH on Fenton chemistry was revisited, supporting the notion that low pH is favored. To address this limitation, an iron (II) tris(bipyridine-polydimethylsiloxane), FebpyPDMS, polymer coating was applied on round bottom flasks to provide a catalytic surface suitable for neutral pH. This work indicates that it is possible to degrade allura red at high pH, though it is not as efficient as working under acidic conditions. It is proposed that Febpy PDMS may be reused repeatedly to remove pollutants from waste water, which may provide an affordable solution for tertiary water treatment.