Iron–clay–cyclodextrin
composites were designed as
sorbent catalysts to adsorb and oxidize pollutants from water. The
clay–iron backbone served as a mechanical support and as a
heterogeneous Fenton catalyst, and the cyclodextrin monomers or polymers
cross-linked with polyfluorinated aromatic molecules were used to
accommodate adsorption of the pollutants. The composite based on iron–clay–cyclodextrin–polymers
(Fe–MMT−βCD–DFB) exhibited superior adsorption
and degradation of the model pollutants, bisphenol A (BPA), carbamazepine
(CBZ), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), compared to the monomer-based
composite and the native iron clay. The variety of adsorption sites,
such as the polyfluorinated aromatic cross-linker, cyclodextrin toroid,
and iron–clay surface, resulted in high adsorption affinity
toward all pollutants; BPA was primarily adsorbed to the cyclodextrin
functional groups, CBZ showed high affinity toward the Fe–MMT
surface and the Fe–MMT−βCD–DFB composite,
whereas PFOA was adsorbed mainly to the βCD–DFB polymer.
Degradation, using H2O2, was highly efficient,
reaching over 90% degradation in 1 h for BPA and CBZ and ∼80%
for PFOA. The composite also showed excellent degradation efficiency
in a multicomponent system with all three model pollutants. Furthermore,
the composite’s activity remained steady for five consecutive
cycles of adsorption and degradation. The ability to remediate a broad
range of pollutants, and the high overall removal exhibited by this
novel material, demonstrates the potential for future application
in water remediation technologies.