Preparation of Al/Fe-PILC clay catalysts from concentrated precursors: enhanced hydrolysis of pillaring metals and intercalation.

The modification of bentonite with Al-Fe species from different concentrated precursors at both stages: (i) the preparation of the (Al/Fe)-mixed pillaring solution and (ii) intercalation itself, was studied at lab scale. The final solids were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC), textural analyses by nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K, and hydrogen-temperature programmed reduction (H-TPR). Finally, the modified clays were assessed as active materials in the Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation (CWPO) of phenol under very mild conditions through 1.