Catalysis of hydrogen peroxide with Cu layered double hydrotalcite for the degradation of ethylbenzene.

A high catalytic system using Cu layered double hydrotalcite (Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was developed for the degradation of ethylbenzene. It was identified that the degradation efficiency of ethylbenzene (0.08 mmol L-1) and TOC removal were 96.1% and 39.7% respectively in the presence of 0.1 g L-1 Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs with (Cu2+ + Mg2+)/Fe3+ molar ratio of 5.0 and 0.16 mmol L-1 H2O2 in 6.0 h. Based on ESR and XPS data, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were the predominant free radical specials generated from the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 for the degradation of ethylbenzene. The redox of Cu(II)/Cu(III) on the layered Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs surface active sites accounted for the formation of •OH radicals and the cycle of Cu(II) in the Cu(II)-Mg(II)-Fe(III)LDHs/H2O2 system were proposed.