A novel iron-glutamate-silicotungstate ternary complex（FeШGluS iW） was synthesized from ferric chloride（FeI II）,glutamic acid（Glu）,and silicotungstic acid（SiW）,and used as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for 4-chlorophenol（4-CP） degradation at neutral pH value. The prepared FeШGluS iW was characterized using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy,thermogravimetry,Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that FeШGluS iW has the formula [Fe（C5H8NO4）（H2O）]2SiW 12O40？13H2O,with glutamate moiety and Keggin-structured SiW 12O404- heteropolyanion. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity in 4-CP degradation in the dark and under irradiation. Under the conditions of 4-CP 100 mg/L,FeШGluS iW 1.0 g/L,H2O2 20 mmol/L,and pH = 6.5,4-CP was completely decomposed in 40 min in the dark and in 15 min under irradiation. When the reaction time was prolonged to 2 h,the corresponding total organic carbon removals under dark and irradiated conditions were ca. 27% and 72%,respectively. The high catalytic activity of FeI IIGluS iW is resulted from hydrogen bonding of H2O2 on the FeI IIGluS iW surface. The enhanced degradation of 4-CP under irradiation arises from simultaneous oxidation of 4-CP through Fenton-like and photocatalytic processes respectively catalyzed by ferric iron and the SiW 12O404- hetropolyanion in FeШGluS iW.
