One-pot synthesis of highly active Ni/Fe nano-bimetal by simultaneous ball milling and in situ chemical deposition.

In this study, nanoscale bimetallic particles (Ni/Fe) were prepared by a simultaneous ball milling and in situ chemical deposition process (B&C) with high dechlorination activity for 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The results suggest that the introduction of Ni significantly improved the dechlorination of 4-CP. The dechlorination activity of Ni/Fe-B&C ( k obs = 0.168 min -1 ) was increased significantly with a lengthening of the milling time and showed maximum activity at the milling time of 4 h. Bimetals prepared with the incorporation of Ni into Fe can quickly and completely dechlorinate 4-CP within 90 min reaction time. The dechlorination activity was mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of Ni and Fe. The dechlorination rate was increased with increasing Ni-Fe dosage but decreased with increasing solution pH and 4-CP concentration. Ni/Fe-B&C catalyst could be reused 10 times at pH below 5.0. This approach could offer great opportunities for both research and industrial applications to eliminate chlorinated organic pollutants.