Catalytic wet peroxidation of pyridine bearing wastewater by cerium supported SBA-15

Highlights: ► Cerium supported SBA-15 (Ce/SBA-15) synthesized by two-step synthesis. ► Characterization of Ce/SBA-15 by FTIR, XRD and BET surface area. ► Catalytic peroxidation of pyridine by Ce/SBA-15. ► Optimization of parameters like catalyst dose, H2O2 dose, initial concentration and temperature. ► Catalyst reusability and leaching study performed. -- Abstract: Cerium supported SBA-15 (Ce/SBA-15) was synthesized by two-step synthesis method in acidic medium. It was further characterized by various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and N2 adsorption–desorption pore size distribution analysis. The Ce/SBA-15 showed highly ordered meso-structure with pore diameter ≈ 70–100 A and pore volume ≈ 0.025 cm3/g. Ce/SBA-15 was further evaluated as a catalyst for the oxidation of highly toxic and non-biodegradable material, pyridine, by catalytic wet-peroxidation method. The effects of various operating parameters such as catalyst dose (0.5–6 g/l), stoichiometric ratio of H2O2/pyridine (1–6), initial pyridine concentration (50–800 mg/l) and temperature (313–358 K) have been evaluated and optimized. Ce/SBA-15 showed stable performance during reuse for six cycles with negligible cerium leaching. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and operation cost have also been determined