Efficient degradation of para-chlorobenzoic acid in water by catalytic ozonation with La–Ce–MCM-41

La–Ce–MCM-41 was directly synthesized by a hydrothermal method and applied as heterogeneous catalyst for the ozonation process of para chlorobenzoic-acid (pCBA). La3+ and Ce3+ were successfully incorporated into the framework of MCM-41 and the formation of degradation products (p-chlorophenol, p-dihydroxybenzene, maleic acid and oxalic acid) were monitored qualitatively using gas chromatography–mass spectrometer and high performance liquid chromatography. Due to the synergy of bimetal and the fast degradation of accumulated intermediates, total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency was significantly improved (92 %) in La–Ce–MCM-41/O3 process compared with ozonation (40 %) at identical reaction condition. The presence of tert-butanol (TBA) in La–Ce–MCM-41/O3 process indicated that the oxidation of pCBA was mainly due to the function of hydroxyl radicals in the liquid bulk, and a plausible degradation pathway was proposed. TOC removal slightly decreased from 90 to 86 % after La–Ce–MCM-41 being re-utilized three times, which illustrated that La–Ce–MCM-41 was an efficient of promising catalyst for ozonation of pCBA.