Flexible reusable hierarchical hybrid catalyst for rapid and complete degradation of triclosan in water

A flexible, durable, and reusable nanocatalyst system was fabricated by anchoring palladium nanopartides on carbon nanotube (CNT) carpets covalently attached to carbon cloth. These hierarchical hybrid materials were tested for catalytic degradation of triclosan (TCS), an emerging contaminant. Materials were characterized using scanning & transmission electron microscopy techniques (SEM and TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The reaction kinetics was studied using HPLC and reaction pathways proposed based on LC-MS/GC-MS analyses. In the presence of hydrogen, complete step-wise chlorine removal was seen until complete dechlorination was accomplished. The pseudo-first-order rate constant was measured to be orders of magnitude higher than earlier reported values. Moreover, the same material was usable for multiple cycles in flowing water. This study demonstrates that robustness and reusability of larger structural materials can be combined with the ultra-high surface activity of nanocatalysts to provide practical and eco-friendly solutions for water sustainability. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A flexible, durable, and reusable nanocatalyst system was developed for the degradation of the emerging contaminant triclosan (TCS), showing complete step-wise chlorine removal in the presence of hydrogen with significantly higher reaction rate constant compared to previous studies. The material demonstrated multiple cycles of usability in flowing water, highlighting the potential for practical and eco-friendly solutions for water sustainability by combining the robustness and reusability of large structural materials with the ultra-high surface activity of nanocatalysts.