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The Effect of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Modification on Fe Dispersal and the Catalytic Degradation of Phenol Wastewater

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Abstract

Modification of a catalyst with polyethylene glycol (PEG) created a dramatic increase in the catalytic activity for the degradation of phenol wastewater. The Fe/PEG-modified γ-Al2O3 catalyst was prepared by an impregnation method. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, wide- and small-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption-desorption experiments, and the results showed that the Fe species were highly dispersed on the surface of the PEG-modified support. At the same time, the PEG modification resulted in an increase in the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and pore volume. The catalytic activity test showed that the Fe/PEG-modified γ-Al2O3 catalyst exhibited a superior performance for the degradation of phenol wastewater in this study, and the phenol and COD removal values reached 94.1 and 88.9%, respectively, within 60 min. The results clearly show that PEG modification is a promising methodology for the preparation of a catalyst with good dispersal of the active component on the support.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the Natural Science Research Key Project of the Anhui Provincial Department of Education (Grant KJ2015A231).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Bengbu University, Bengbu, Anhui, 233030, China

    Jianjun Zhao, Kun Ding & Bosheng Ding

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  1. Jianjun Zhao
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  2. Kun Ding
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  3. Bosheng Ding
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Correspondence to Jianjun Zhao.

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Zhao, J., Ding, K. & Ding, B. The Effect of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Modification on Fe Dispersal and the Catalytic Degradation of Phenol Wastewater. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 442 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3632-x

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