Ozone Initiated Ni/Metal Oxide Catalyzed Conversion of 1,2-Dichlorobenzene to Mucochloric Acid in Aqueous Solutions

In aqueous systems, chlorinated hydrocarbons exhibit low chemical reactivity and nonbiodegradability due to its toxicity. Relative efficiencies of 1% and 5% Ni loaded on alumina, silica and titania as catalysts for conversion of 1,2-dichlorobenzene to muchochloric acid (MCA) were investigated at (20 ± 1) °C and ∼1 atm as function of time. All nickel loaded metal oxides gave good conversions and product selectivity toward MCA, with little mineralization. Ni/SiO₂ showed superior conversion with selectivity of 89.9–100% toward MCA. The ozonation products were characterized by ¹H NMR, IR, Mass and GC-MS, while the catalyst materials were characterized by BET, SEM, FT-IR, ICP, and XRD methods