Dihydroxybenzenes: driven Fenton reactions

Different compounds that reduce Fe(III) and that simultaneously increase the oxidation potential of the H2O2/Fe2+ system, have been evaluated. In this work, the improving of Fenton reactions by 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) or 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (CAT) were studied. The three compounds are able to reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II), but the kinetic results depend on the method used to determine the Fe(II) ion. The dihydroxybenzenes (DHBs) degrades veratryl alcohol (VA), a lignin model compound, to a greater extent than observed in a typical Fenton reaction. The rate of VA degradation was associated with the duration of the chemiluminescence (CAT > 2,3-DHBA > 3,4-DHBA) and not with the sum of integrated counts. The treatment of a cellulose pulp bleaching effluent with DHBs/Fe(III)/H2O2 was evaluated by analyzing their depolymerization at pH 4 and 7 through molecular mass distribution determinations.