Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a widely used solvent in
many industries.
The biodegradation of DMSO is difficult, resulting in large amounts
volatile and noxious compounds emitted into the atmosphere, including
dimethylsulfide, methyl mercaptan, and H2S. Therefore,
it is necessary to deal with DMSO-containing wastewater using chemical
methods. Here, supported niobia catalysts were prepared and characterized,
and their catalytic performances was evaluated by the oxidative degradation
of DMSO via H2O2 activation. The product of
DMSO oxidation is dimethylsulfone which is a biodegradable and environmentally
benign compound. The most active catalyst, 20%Nb2O5/SiO2, can remove 178.6 mmol/L DMSO within 2 h
at 25 °C following a pseudo-first-order reaction. EPR spectroscopic
studies and scavenging experiments confirms that O2
•– and 1O2 are the active
species for DMSO degradation. Although the catalytic activity of Nb2O5/SiO2 drops significantly after use,
its reusability improved conspicuously after calcination, and the
catalyst can be reused for 5 times with an 82.2% DMSO conversion.