Preliminary Results on Ozonation Enhancement by a Perfluorinated Bonded Alumina Phase

A preliminary study was undertaken in order to determine the efficiency of ozonation in the presence of perfluorooctylalumina (PFOA) for the removal of organic substances from aqueous solutions by ozone. PFOA was synthesized by reacting hydrated alumina with pentadecafluorooctanoic acid. A monomolecular layer of non-polar perfluorinated alkyl chains, orientated away from the surface of alumina, capable of dissolving ozone and organic molecules, was obtained. The efficiency of ozonation alone and ozonation in the presence of PFOA or Al₂O₃ was compared. PFOA was found to significantly enhance the degradation level of organic substances in comparison with ozonation alone. Al₂O₃ did not show any catalytic activity.