A new advanced method for heterogeneous catalysed dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in hydrocarbon solvent

The dechlorination of PCBs with solid hydrazine hydrochloride catalysed by palladium, in an organic solvent, yields biphenyl in short reaction times. The catalyst system can be efficiently reused for several cycles. Ultrasonication of the heterogeneous catalysed reaction increases the dechlorination rate remarkably. The reactivity of the CCl bond on the PCB ring are in the order meta>para≫ortho.