Mesoporous materials as catalyst support for wastewater treatment

The scarcity of water resources has stimulated the exploration of sewage treatment technique. On account of flexible separation and recycling, heterogeneous catalysis has aroused strong interest among researchers. In terms of the specific surface area, pore dimension and catalytic sites distribution, porous materials hold infinite potentials in heterogeneous catalysis. Among different porous materials, mesoporous material is most favorable in aqueous system. Moderate diffusion flux and highly efficient mass transfer are achievable due to their appropriate pore dimension, high specific surface area and good organic adsorption capacity. Moreover, most kinds of mesoporous materials are non-toxic, environmental-friendly and highly stable in both acidic and basic conditions. In this review, several kinds of mesoporous materials (such as siliceous mesoporous materials, carbonaceous mesoporous materials and metallic mesoporous materials) are introduced involving their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages as well as their application in wastewater treatment.