Water Depollution Control: A Gateway to Reaction Monitoring and Analytical Chemistry

This paper describes a four-hour experimental session focused on monitoring the degradation of an organic pollutant using a Fenton-like reaction. In this experiment, an aqueous solution of p-nitrophenol is treated with hydrogen peroxide and magnetite, with the reaction's progress tracked through UV–vis spectrophotometry and/or gas chromatography utilizing an internal standard. Undergraduate students explored the concept of heterogeneous catalysis as a green method for water depollution. Although the setup for the Fenton-like reaction was straightforward, students faced challenges in ensuring replicability and precision in quantitative tracking. This experience allowed them to engage with a realistic environmental issue and understand the significant role of catalysis and modern chemistry in addressing such problems.

Full citation
Tiano, M., & Roose, M. (2022). Water depollution control: A gateway to reaction monitoring and analytical chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 99(2), 941-945. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00572