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 CeO 2 (CeO 2 -S400) as an efficient catalyst for the dephosphorylation of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate disodium salt hexahydrate are reported. The presence and distribution of CeO 2 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 CeO 2 -ES and 0.15 ± 0.03 min -1 for CeO 2 -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 CeO 2 -ES and CeO 2 -S400, respectively, and the normalized rate constants with respect to surface area were 3.38 and 0.04 m -2 min -1 for CeO 2 -ES and CeO 2 -S400, respectively. This indicates that the presence of CeO 2 nanoparticles has a catalytic effect on the dephosphorylation reaction.