Comparative study of support effects in ruthenium catalysts applied for wet air oxidation of aromatic compounds

Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) reactions of aniline and phenol were conducted over supported ruthenium catalysts. Three support materials were employed: ZrO2 and graphite, which exhibit medium adsorption capacities for pollutants and present mesopores in their texture, and an activated carbon. This latter has higher adsorption capacity for pollutants because of the large capability of the micropores for contaminant retention from water. The Ru catalysts supported on the activated carbon material showed the higher values of conversion in the oxidation of aniline and of conversion and mineralization in the reaction of phenol. Under our experimental conditions the role of micropores present on the support material seems to be relevant for improving catalytic performances. The incorporation of Ru nanoparticles from different precursors has been also evaluated. Even if the final Ru particle size is a key parameter for the catalytic mineralization, a cooperative effect with the activated carbon support has been established.