Sonochemical and sonocatalytic destruction of methylparaben using raw, modified and SDS-intercalated particles of a natural clay mineral.

The first part of the study is about the degradation of a common PPCP-methylparaben by high-frequency ultrasound to highlight the operation parameters, the reaction sites, the oxidation byproducts and the role of OH radicals. The second part covers the catalytic effect of a highly abundant and cost-effective clay mineral-sepiolite, and investigates the role of surface modification and SDS-composites of the clay in improving the efficiency of the degradation reactions. It was found that the compound (C = 10 mg L) was readily and totally decomposed by 30-min sonication at neutral pH, producing phenolic and aliphatic intermediates, but with insignificant mineralization. The major reaction site was the bubble-liquid interface, where the reactions were governed by OH radical attack. Modification of the sepiolite surface by pre-sonication in an ultrasonic bath improved the rate of reaction and the degree of TOC decay. Further modification by the synthesis of 20-min sonicated (200 kHz bath) SDS-intercalates of the clay was found to yield significant enhancement in the rate of target compound decomposition and the fraction of TOC decay, provided that the reaction was operated at acidic pH.