Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Chemical Precipitation Method for the Synthesis of Nb2O5 Modified Bulk Nickel Catalysts with High Specific Surface Area
Published on: February 19, 2018
Debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by Ni/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles: influencing factors, kinetics, and
Zhanqiang Fang1, Xinhong Qiu, Jinhong Chen
1School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China. lisan408@yahoo.cn
Abstract:
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers have been identified as a new class of organic pollutants with ecological risk due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and global distribution. Proper remediation technologies are needed to remove them from the environment. In this paper, Ni/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical deposition and used to degrade decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209). The characteristics of Ni/Fe nanoparticles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunnaer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. Ni/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles with diameters in the order of 20-50 nm could effectively degrade BDE209 in the solvent (tetrahydrofuran/water). Influence factors, such as Ni/Fe nanoparticle dosage, initial BDE209 concentration, and Ni loading, on the removal of BDE209 were studied. The results indicated that the degradation of BDE209 followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the degradation rate of BDE209 increased with increasing the amount of nano Ni/Fe particles, Ni/Fe ratio, and decreasing the initial concentration of BDE209. Through analyzed the mass balance of the BDE209 removal, degradation was the main process of BDE209 removal. The mechanism of debromination was deduced by analyzing the reaction products using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the bromide ion in the solution and varying the solvent conditions. Stepwise hydrogen reduction is the main process of debromination, and the hydrion play an important role in the reaction. Moreover, the experiment of long term performance and leaching of Ni were also carried out to test the stability and durability of Ni/Fe nanoparticles in BDE209 degradation.
Related Concept Videos
Rate-Determining Steps
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene
Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination
Catalysis

