Investigating the catalytic activity of a novel phase‐boundary catalyst in oxidation of styrene

Abstract

Inhibiting the environment pollutions motivated the development of green catalytic systems. The present research proposed a novel model of phase-boundary catalyst by using octadecyltrichlorosilane/polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide/cotton (OTS/PPy/RGO/CT) for the oxidation of styrene by aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The catalytic activities were examined in both stirring and static conditions. The effect of electric current was also studied in static condition. The structural properties of the fabricated catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and thermal analysis. Moreover, the influence of PPy and RGO on electrical current of textile was also examined by using four-point probe technique. The catalytic activity of OTS/RGO/CT showed that the RGO could act as the catalytic active site in the oxidation of styrene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, as indicated by the 21% enhancement in the conversion of styrene when the RGO amount was increased (12 times) in OTS/RGO/CT in stirring condition. Finally, it could be stated that RGO-loaded cotton textile was a promising heterogonous catalyst for the oxidation reaction, specifically for the oxidation of styrene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide.