1-(2-chlorophenyl)ethanol(CPE)isofhealthandenvironmentalconcernduetoitstoxicityanditsuseasaninter-mediateinpharmaceuticalmanufacturing.ThecurrentworkdealswiththecatalyticreductivedechlorinationanddetoxificationofCPEbyPd/Febimetal.CPEwaseffectivelydechlorinatedto1-phenylethanol(PE)accompaniedbytheequivalentreleaseofchloride.TheextentofCPEdechlorinationincreasedwithtemperature,FedosageandPdloading.AdecreaseinsolutionpHincreasedCPEdechlorination,resultingpresumablyfromanincreaseinhydrogenproduction.Underthespecificconditionsof20g/LPd/Fe,0.10%Pd(w/w)andinitialpH5-6,theCPEdechlorinationwascompletedwithin145min.Thedechlorinationfol-lowedapseudo-first-orderkineticswithanactivationenergyof56.7kJ/mol.TheresultsoftoxicitytestingshowedthatCPEwasverytoxictoChlorella,whereasPEshowedlittletoxicity.Thetoxicityofthereactionsolutiondeclinedgraduallyandthepro-motingeffectsonChlorellaintensifiedconsequentlywiththedechlorinationprocess.Thus,thereductivedechlorinationofCPEtoPEbyPd/Fewasadetoxificationprocess.ItmaybeusedtoeffectivelyreducethetoxicologicaleffectsofCPE-contaminatedwastewater,therebyenhancingtheperformanceofsubsequentbiologicalprocessesinwastewatertreatment.
