Removal of aqueous organic pollutants by adsorption-catalytic process using mesoporous carbon beads loaded with metal oxides

Removal of aqueous organic pollutants using an adsorption-catalytic process was examined using metal-loaded carbon cryogel beads (CCBs) which possess numerous mesopores of controlled size. Adsorption isotherms of phenol, as a model organic pollutant, on CCBs could be interpreted based on the Langmuir model, indicating the preferable adsorption of phenol on micropores rather than on mesopores. Removal of aqueous phenol was examined using metal oxide-loaded CCBs in the presence of ozone. Due to the adsorptive-concentration effect of CCBs, it proved possible to increase the phenol removal efficiency by the simultaneous use of ozone with CCBs as compared with ozone only. Of the support materials for loading metal oxides, CCBs showed the highest removal efficiency. The enhancement effect of CCBs in the removal of aqueous phenol was examined with regard to the metal species loaded, the amount of loaded metal, the size of the mesopores, and the carbonization temperature used in the preparation of CCBs.