Catalytic Degradation of Chlorinated Phenols

Abstract

Chlorinated phenols are pollutants that are not easily degraded by microbes, leading to the accumulation in the environment of these toxic molecules. In his Perspective, Meunier highlights the report by Sen Gupta et al., who have developed a catalyst that degrades chlorinated phenols nearly completely, assisted only by hydrogen peroxide. This green catalyst may, for example, be used to treat waste water in chemical plants before it is released.