Adsorption-catalytic removal of diclofenac from water by a carbon-supported palladium catalyst

High-strength activated carbon produced by pyrolysis of a furfural copolymer was used as a support in a palladium catalyst for hydrodechlorination (HDC) of diclofenac in water in the presence of hydrogen. Diclofenac was removed from water by HDC and adsorption, the contribution of which was dominant due to a high specific surface area of the microporous support, whereas HDC played a role to convert residual amounts of chlorinated organics into safer products. The prereduction conditions strongly affected the catalyst performance: reduction in aqueous solutions at 30 °C produced more efficient catalysts than those obtained by dry reduction at 30 and 300 °C.