Porous biomorphic ceramics for catalytic decomposition of phenol

Abstract Porous ceramics have been developed from lichen templates infiltrated with illite clay slurry and mineralized at 900 °C in air and nitrogen environments. The obtained ceramic samples were thoroughly investigated as well as tested for phenol catalytic decomposition ability. The structures of mineralized samples in air and nitrogen environments differ; samples mineralized in air demonstrate poorly structured platelets of plagioclase and mainly quartz, as well as small amorphous areas. The presence of crystalline particles in sizes from 400 up to 850 nm and attributed to carbon or iron is typical for samples mineralized in nitrogen. The effect on phenol catalytic decomposition can be evaluated as 80% effective decomposition after contact of samples with phenol-water solution. One of the main factors for catalytic decomposition of phenol is considered to be the presence of differently located Fe3+,2+ ions in the structure of samples with the decomposition process being akin to Fenton reactions.