Pd/mesoporous carbon nitride: A bifunctional material with high adsorption capacity and catalytic hydrodebromination activity for removal of tetrabromobisphenol A

Palladium loaded mesoporous carbon nitride (Pd/MCN) with high adsorption capacity and excellent catalytic hydrodebromination activity was used for removal of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The adsorption kinetic of TBBPA on Pd/MCN-x followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the adsorption isotherm could be described by Langmuir adsorption model. The pore structure and surface functional groups of Pd/MCN-x could be optimized by calcination at different temperatures. The Pd/MCN-900 catalyst exhibited the highest TBBPA adsorption capacity of 242.1 mg/g, which was 2-10 times larger than previous values achieved by other researchers. Both hydrophobic interaction and pi-pi interaction were responsible for the adsorption and the solution pH and coexisting ions had little influence on the adsorption. The catalytic hydrodebromination results showed that the TBBPA could be was completely debrominated to BPA over Pd/MCN-x and the catalytic activity of Pd/MCN-x was positive correlated to the adsorption behavior of TBBPA. The high adsorption capacity and catalytic hydrodebromination activity of Pd/MCN-x made it suitable for the treatment of TBBPA. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.