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Removal of emerging pollutants in aqueous phase by heterogeneous Fenton and photo-Fenton with Fe2O3-TiO2-clay heterostructures

  • Clay and Modified Clays in Remediating Environmental Pollutants
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Abstract

Fe2O3-TiO2-clay heterostructures have been prepared using an organo-bentonite as support, which organophilic character favored the fixation of TiO2. Furthermore, Fe2O3 was successfully anchored by wet impregnation. The resulting materials are characterized by a disordered layered structure and a mesoporous texture. The heterostructures were employed as catalysts for the removal of two pharmaceuticals, acetaminophen (ACE) and antipyrine (ANT), by heterogeneous Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. ACE removal under different operation conditions was studied in detail to establish structure-performance relationships, being the TiO2 formation and the developed texture the main factors controlling the activity. ANT showed a higher refractory behavior in oxidation by Fenton. Among the technologies studied, heterogeneous photo-Fenton achieved the best catalytic performance and higher kinetic rate and mineralization degree. Iron leaching was very low, lower than 5% of the initial iron load in all cases. This work demonstrates the potential application of these heterostructures for the removal of emerging pollutants of different nature.

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Funding

The authors want to thank the financial support from the Spanish MINECO through the project CTQ2016-78576-R.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Carmen B. Molina, Eva Sanz-Santos, Jorge Bedia, Carolina Belver & Juan J. Rodriguez

  2. Laboratory Interactions Materials-Environment (LIME), University of Mohamed Seddik Ben Yahia, 18000, Jijel, Algeria

    Ali Boukhemkhem

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  1. Carmen B. Molina
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  2. Eva Sanz-Santos
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  3. Ali Boukhemkhem
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Correspondence to Carmen B. Molina.

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Molina, C.B., Sanz-Santos, E., Boukhemkhem, A. et al. Removal of emerging pollutants in aqueous phase by heterogeneous Fenton and photo-Fenton with Fe2O3-TiO2-clay heterostructures. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 38434–38445 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09236-8

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