Oxidation of 2-Methoxyphenol by Synthetic Copper-ferrite

Abstract

Copper-ferrite (Cu-ferrite) prepared by the wet formation process was applied to oxidation of 2-methoxyphenol as a model reaction for the removal of pollutants from water. Cu-ferrite was easily recovered with little loss following repeated use of a magnet. The activity of Cu-ferrite was maintained during 3 batch reactions and Cu-ferrite was found to be suitable for the removal of pollutants. The reaction product of both the 2nd and 3rd batches was different from that of the 1st batch. X-Ray diffraction suggested that the structure of Cu-ferrite was changed by leakage of copper ion (Cu²⁺ ion) from the Cu-ferrite lattice after the 1st batch reaciton. Such a structural change was considered to change the reactivity of Cu-ferrite. It is considered that an improvement in the formation process leads to Cu-ferrite being a more useful and effective catalyst for removing pollutants from water.