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Environmental mineralization of caffeine micro-pollutant by Fe-MFI zeolites

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Abstract

Environmentally emerging micro-pollutant, caffeine, was mineralized (i.e., full degradation) by the isomorphic incorporation of Fe into silicalite-1 (mordenite framework inverted (MFI) structure zeolite) through a microwave synthesis method. The Fe incorporation conferred mesopore formation that facilitated caffeine access and transport to the MFI zeolite structure. Increasing the Fe content favored the formation of Fe(O)4 sites within the MFI structure. The catalytic activity for the degradation of caffeine increased as a function of Fe(O)4 sites via a Fenton-like heterogeneous reaction, otherwise not attainable using Fe-free pure MFI zeolites. Caffeine degradation reached 96% (TOC based) for zeolites containing 2.33% of Fe.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance, of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland. A. Julbe and J.C. Diniz da Costa would like to acknowledge the financial support for international collaboration from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS-INC) in France. J. C. Diniz da Costa acknowledges support given by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship program (FT130100405).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. FIM2Lab—Functional Interfacial Materials and Membranes, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia

    Julius Motuzas, Dana L. Martens & João C. Diniz da Costa

  2. Institut Européen des Membranes, UMR 5635-CNRS-ENSCM-UM, Université de Montpellier, cc 047, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier–Cedex 5, France

    Martin Drobek, Cyril Vallicari & Anne Julbe

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  1. Julius Motuzas
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Correspondence to Julius Motuzas.

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Responsible editor: Vítor Pais Vilar

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Motuzas, J., Drobek, M., Martens, D.L. et al. Environmental mineralization of caffeine micro-pollutant by Fe-MFI zeolites. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 3628–3635 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0530-0

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