Fibrous catalyst, its preparation and use thereof

A method for preparing a fibrous catalyst for the treatment of a waste stream containing an undesired compound, the method comprising the steps of;

• (i) treating a fabric comprising polyacrylonitrile fibers with a hydrazine salt and a hydroxylamine salt in the presence of a base to provide a modified fabric;
• (ii) treating the modified fabric with a base;
• and
• (iii) treating the modified fabric with an aqueous solution comprising an amount of a salt of a transition metal cation and a salt of a non-transition metal cation, wherein the transition metal cation is an iron cation, and the non-transition metal cation comprises a metal from Group 1, 2, 12, 13, 14, or 15 of the Periodic Table of Elements,
• wherein the resultant fibrous catalyst prepared according to steps (i) to (iii) is loaded with the transition metal cation, and is essentially free of the non-transition metal cation whereby the resultant fibrous catalyst has an enhanced transition metal cation loading and provides an enhanced catalytic activity.