Specifically Grafting Hematin on MPTS-Coated Carbon Nanotubes for Catalyzing the Oxidation of Aniline

Abstract

Abstract:Catalysts supported on nanomaterials have been widely investigated for the treatment of hazardous materials. This work has developed a novel method for grafting hematin on nanomaterials for catalyzing the oxidation of aniline in order to remove aniline from wastewater. Magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (M-MWCNTs) were coated with a layer formed through the hydrolysis and condensation of 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTS). Hematin was specifically grafted on the MPTS-coated M-MWCNTs through thiol-alkene reaction. Hematin-MPTS-M-MWCNTs were used to catalyze the oxidation of aniline, and a high efficiency has been obtained. Consecutive use of the conjugate of hematin-MPTS-M-MWCNTs has been investigated, and the activity has been retained to a significant extent after five reaction/cleaning cycles. The result demonstrates that hematin-MPTS-M-MWCNTs are efficient for catalyzing the oxidation of aniline. The methodology for the specific grafting of hematin is of general utility, it is an easy-to-operate method and can be extended to other supports. Potentially, hematin-MPTS-based conjugates have a widespread application in catalyzing the removal of aniline from wastewater.