3D tuned porous carbon monolith as catalysts in the wet peroxide oxidation of paracetamol
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In recent years, many pharmaceuticals have been identified at trace levels worldwide in the aquatic
environment [1]. Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered the main sources of
these pollutants as they are not generally prepared to deal with such complex substances and thus,
they are usually ineffective in their removal [1]. Despite the low concentration of drugs contained in
those effluents, the presence of pharmaceuticals, even in trace concentrations, affects the quality of
water and constitutes a risk of toxicity for the ecosystems and living organisms [1-2]. Consequently,
new regulation for micropollutants discharge and monitoring has been issued in Europe (Directive
2013/39/EU). Paracetamol (PCM) deserves particular attention, since it has recently been discovered
as a potential pollutant of waters, largely accumulated in the aquatic environment [3]. This work deals
with the treatment of PCM, used as a model pharmaceutical contaminant of emerging concern, by
catalytic wet peroxide oxidation using carbon-based monoliths (Fig. 1a) as catalysts. Monoliths were
prepared by stereolithographic 3D printing of a photoresin, which was later converted into porous
carbon by oxidation in air (300 °C, 6 h) and subsequent pyrolysis in N2 (900 °C, 15 min) as described
elsewhere [4]. The materials revealed catalytic activity in the CWPO of PCM allowing to reach PCM
conversions up to 30% with a residence time of 3.5 min (Fig. 1b).
