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 (H 2 O 2 ) 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 (Cu 2+  + Mg 2+ )/Fe 3+ molar ratio of 5.0 and 0.16 mmol L −1 H 2 O 2 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 H 2 O 2 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/H 2 O 2 system were proposed.