Efficient oxidative dechlorination and aromatic ring cleavage of chlorinated phenols catalyzed by iron sulfophthalocyanine.

An efficient method has been developed for the catalytic oxidation of pollutants that are not easily degraded. The products of the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) oxidation of 2,4,6,-trichlorophenol (TCP) catalyzed by the iron complex 2,9,16,23-tetrasulfophthalocyanine (FePcS) were observed to be chloromaleic, chlorofumaric, maleic, and fumaric acids from dechlorination and aromatic cycle cleavage, as well as additional products that resulted from oxidative coupling. Quantitative analysis of the TCP oxidation reaction revealed that up to two chloride ions were released per TCP molecule. This chemical system, consisting of an environmentally safe oxidant (H(2)O(2)) and an easily accessible catalyst (FePcS), can perform several key steps in the oxidative mineralization of TCP, a paradigm of recalcitrant pollutants.