EFFICIENT OXIDATIVE DECHLORINATION AND AROMATIC RING-CLEAVAGE OF CHLORINATED PHENOLS CATALYZED BY IRON SULFOPHTHALOCYANINE

An efficient method has been developed for the catalytic oxidation of pollutants that are not easily degraded. The products of the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) catalyzed by the iron complex 2,9,16,23-tetrasulfophthalocyanine (FePcS) were obser ved to be chloromaleic, chlorofumaric, maleic, and fumaric acids from dechlorination and aromatic cycle cleavage, as well as additional prod ucts that resulted from oxidative coupling, Quantitative analysis of t he TCP oxidation reaction revealed that up to two chloride ions were r eleased per TCP molecule. This chemical system, consisting of an envir onmentally safe oxidant (H2O2) and an easily accessible catalyst (FePc S), can perform several key steps in the oxidative mineralization of T CP, a paradigm of recalcitrant pollutants.