Ultrasound-assisted MnO2 catalyzed homolysis of peracetic acid for phenol degradation: The assessment of process chemistry and kinetics

Abstract The combination of peracetic acid (PAA) and heterogeneous catalyst (MnO 2 ) was used for the degradation of phenol in an aqueous solution in the presence of ultrasound irradiation (US). As a relevant source of free radicals (e.g. OH), peracetic acid was comprehensively studied by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) spin trapping (ST) techniques with the subsequent identification of free radicals by simulation based fitting (SBF) technique. The radical reaction mechanism, where hydroxyl radical was a primary product of O O bond rupture of PAA, was established taking into account radical reactions, occurring during sonolysis. The potential barriers and the reaction heat were deter…