Palladium loaded BEA zeolites as efficient catalysts for aqueous-phase diclofenac hydrodechlorination

Herein the catalytic performance of two 1 wt% Pd loaded BEA zeolites with Si/Al ratio of 19 and 1300 were investigated for the aqueous phase hydrodechlorination (HDC) of diclofenac, the latter compound a prevalent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. 1 wt%Pd/SiO2 and 1 wt%Pd/Al2O3 being commonly used HDC catalysts were also studied for comparison purposes. Independently of the Si/Al ratio, palladium loaded BEA catalysts show over 6 times higher activity than conventional Pd/support catalytic systems. This remarkable behavior is largely due to the effect of the three-dimensional structure of zeolite material and the broad range of Pd NPs size obtained. [Display omitted] •Eco-friendly hydrodechlorination (HDC) of Cl-containing micropollutant in water.•Rapid removal of diclofenac (DCF) from water with Pd loaded BEA zeolites by HDC.•Unique PdBEA activity in comparison to Pd/SiO2 and Pd/Al2O3 in water purification.•Safe 2-anilinophenylacetic acid as the major organic product of DCF HDC.•Wide PdNPs size distribution and 3D structure of BEA improve efficiency of DCF HDC.