Reductive approach in the degradation of phenols with zero-valent iron in aqueous media: ZVI phenol reduction in aqueous media

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 similar to 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. (c) 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: 483-488, 2019