Iron oxide surface catalyzed oxidation of quinoline by hydrogen peroxide

The objective of this research was to examine and compare the surface catalyzed loss of quinoline, a model pollutant, in the presence of three iron oxides: ferrihydrite, goethite, and a semicrystalline iron oxide. These are ubiquitous in the subsurface environment and have been implicated in the possible abiotic loss of contaminants when hydrogen peroxide is injected for augmenting bioremediation. This suggests the possible use of hydrogen peroxide specifically as an oxidant of some compounds in the subsurface. A comparison also reveals the best candidate for use in a supported oxide fixed bed treatment system utilizing hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. The catalytic activity toward quinoline oxidation was highest for goethite, much less for the semicrystalline material, and negligible in the presence of ferrihydrite. Several water constituents affected reaction rates and stoichiometry by adsorption or through effects on solution chemistry. The stoichiometric efficiency relating quinoline loss to hydrogen peroxide decomposition was not a function of oxide concentration, nor was it affected by the presence of carbonate or phosphate that reduced the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition. The effect of humic acid on quinoline loss and hydrogen peroxide decomposition rate depended on its concentration, suggesting that it may act as a radical scavenger, radical chain promoter, and catalytic site inhibitor.