Hydrodehalogenation of hexachloro- and hexabromobenzene by metallic calcium in ethanol, in the presence of Rh/C catalyst

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 591 - 597
• Main Authors: Katayama, Yumi, Aoyagi, Mitsuru, Matsumoto, Takuya, Harada, Hiroyuki, Simion, Alina M., Egashira, Naoyoshi, Mitoma, Yoshiharu, Simion, Cristian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Benzene; Bromobenzenes - chemistry; Calcium; Calcium - chemistry; Carbon - chemistry; Catalysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Ethanol; Ethanol - chemistry; Hexachlorobenzene; Hexachlorobenzene - chemistry; Hydrocarbons; Metal oxides; Particle size; PCB; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Reagents; Research Article; Rhodium - chemistry; Solvents - chemistry; Studies; Temperature; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Hydrodehalogenation; Ethanol; Rh/C; Hexachlorobenzene; Metallic Ca; Hexabromobenzene
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7785-8

Both hexachlorobenzene and hexabromobenzene were successfully hydrodehalogenated to the monohalogenated derivative and ultimately to benzene (which was subsequently reduced to cyclohexane) using a mixture of metallic Ca, ethanol, and Rh/C, by simple stirring in diethyl ether, at room or mild temperature (60 °C). Various experiments were performed in order to assess the role of the solvent and Rh/C catalyst, as well as for elucidating the reaction pathway.