Highly Efficient Mesoporous Carbonaceous CeO₂ Catalyst for Dephosphorylation

Phosphorus is fast becoming a critical element, as the global supply and demand are reaching unsustainable levels. Herein, the synthesis, characterization, and applicability of a novel biomass-derived mesoporous carbonaceous material decorated with CeO₂ (CeO₂-S400) as an efficient catalyst for the dephosphorylation of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt hexahydrate are reported. The presence and distribution of CeO₂ are evidenced by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (118.7 mg/g), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping. The apparent rate constant for the efficient catalysis of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt hexahydrate was 0.097 ± 0.01 for CeO₂-ES and 0.15 ± 0.03 min^-1 for CeO₂-S400, which followed first-order kinetics. Rate constants normalized by the catalytic loading (k _m) were 80.84 and 15.00 g^-1 min^-1 for CeO₂-ES and CeO₂-S400, respectively, and the normalized rate constants with respect to surface area were 3.38 and 0.04 m^-2 min^-1 for CeO₂-ES and CeO₂-S400, respectively. This indicates that the presence of CeO₂ nanoparticles has a catalytic effect on the dephosphorylation reaction.