Oxidative Degradation of Phenol using in situ Generated Hydrogen Peroxide Combined with Fenton’s Process

Oxidative destruction of organic compounds in water streams could significantly reduce environmental effects associated with discharging waste. We report the development of a process to oxidise phenol in aqueous solutions, a model for waste stream contaminants, using Fenton’s reactions combined with in situ synthesised hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Bifunctional palladium-iron supported catalysts, where Pd is responsible for H 2 O 2 synthesis while Fe ensures the production of reactive oxygen species required for the degradation of phenol to less toxic species is reported. A comparison is made between in situ generated and commercial H 2 O 2 and the effect of phenol degradation products on catalyst stability is explored.