Aqueous-Phase Hydrodechlorination of Trichloroethene over Pd- Supported on Swellable Organically-Modified Silica (SOMS)

摘要

The widespread contamination of water by chlorinated ethenes such as trichloroethene (TCE) and perchloroethene (PCE) is a growing environmental concern [1]. The high level of toxicity and the carcinogenic effects of TCE pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. According to a study conducted by Environmental Protection Agency, TCE was detected in 91 out of 945 drinking-water and groundwater samples [2]. Hydrodechlorination (HDC) is an efficient way of removing chlorinated compounds from water. It is an elimination-based remediation technique in which chlorinated compounds react with hydrogen and are catalytically converted to Cl-free hydrocarbons and hydrogen chloride. There has been on-going research on HDC of chlorinated compounds where promising catalytic activities have been obtained with the palladium-based state-of-the-art catalysts. However, catalyst deactivation due to anionic groundwater constituents such as sulfur species, nitrates, carbonates, and chlorides is a recurring problem [3, 4]. For industrial organizations to adapt catalytic HDC as their remediation technique, deactivation issues due to the anionic species need to be addressed.