De-hydrochlorination of Chlorophenol on Various Activated Carbon Surface Conditions in Aqueous Solution at Room Temperature

Abstract

Activated carbon (AC) surface was modified by introducing carboxyl, nitro and amino groups, and graphite structure nitrogen with NH₃ gas treatment at 800 °C. AC was also treated at 1000 °C in He flow and at 950 °C in H₂ flow to remove surface functional groups.
De-hydrodechlorination from 4-chlorophenol (4CP) was studied using the ACs in aqueous solutions at the ambient temperature. Though the chlorine removal from 4CP did not take place for the ACs introduced electron acceptor groups, it was observed for the other ACs releasing hydrogen chloride into aqueous solution. 2- and 3-chlorophenols, and 2,4- and 2,6- dichlorophenols were also examined, and the chlorine at para position was found out to be the most easily decomposed, whereas no decline in pH could be observed for that at meta position.