Al- and Fe-pillared montmorillonite (Al- and Fe-PILCs) were prepared and examined as catalysts in the deep
oxidation of toluene and chlorobenzene. The catalysts before and after reaction were characterized by X-ray
powder diffraction, N2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.
Results show that Al- and Fe-PILCs with layer structures increase the surface area. For the catalytic oxidation
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Fe-PILCs exhibit higher performance than fresh montmorillonite and
Al-PILCs. Higher concentration of Fe also resulted in higher catalytic activity. Fe-PILCs also exhibited higher
stability than Al-PILCs. Even at a low temperature (100 °C), Fe-PILCs still exhibited certain activity. Lifetime
evaluation results show that the activity of Fe-PILC (3) did not vary after a 96-hour reaction. BET and XRD results
indicate that these pillared catalysts have very stable structures even after prolonged reaction. Hence,
Fe-PILCs are potential materials for VOC decontamination.