More octahedral Cu+ and surface acid sites in uniformly porous Cu-Al2O3 for enhanced Fenton catalytic performances

Porous Cu-doped alumina (P-Cu-Al2O3) has been synthesized using ammonium chloride as a green gaseous template. The unique pore-forming agent endows the catalyst a large surface area and homogenous pore structure. According to the characterization results by multi-technologies, the highly dispersed framework Cu+/ Cu2+ was incorporated in octahedral sites with the formation of the Cu-O-Al bonds. Compared with bulk Cu doped Al2O3 (B-Cu-Al2O3), more surface acidic oxygen-containing groups and Lewis acid sites existed in P-CuAl2O3, resulting in the production of surface adsorbed (OH)-O-center dot, which is helpful for the removal of surface adsorbed organic intermediates. In addition, O-2 more easily participate in surface reaction to promote the (OH)-O-center dot generation in P-Cu-Al2O3 system than that in B-Cu-Al2O3. As a result, the representative endocrine disruptor bisphenol A can be more efficiently mineralized by P-Cu-Al2O3. This work provides a facile route to develop porous active heterogenous Fenton-like catalysts and a unique perspective to insight into the structure-activity relationship.

Automated summary

Porous Cu-doped alumina (P-Cu-Al2O3) was synthesized using ammonium chloride as a green template, resulting in a catalyst with large surface area and homogeneous pore structure. The highly dispersed Cu+/Cu2+ in octahedral sites with Cu-O-Al bonds contributed to the improved catalytic activity.