Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of phenol wastewater over a novel Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst

•A novel Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst was prepared for CWPO of phenol wastewater at high concentration (1000 mg/L) in a continuous reactor.•The Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic performance (complete phenol conversion and high TOC conversion about 65% without toxic quinone by-products detected) within 7 hours.•The catalytic mechanism of the CWPO of phenol over the Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst was proposed.

A novel Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst was prepared and characterized for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol wastewater in a continuous reactor. The Cu–ZSM-5 membrane catalyst was first prepared by the secondary growth process and incipient wetness impregnation method, and then characterized by thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis, N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), respectively. This catalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic performance (complete phenol conversion and TOC conversion about 65% without toxic quinones detected).