A critical review on the activation of peroxymonosulfate by MOFs for antibiotics degradation: Affecting factor, performance and mechanism

Abstract

The contamination of water with antibiotics presents a critical challenge due to its adverse effects on the environment and public health. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), particularly sulfate radical-based AOPs (SR-AOPs), have emerged as promising technologies for antibiotic degradation due to their remarkable oxidative strength and selectivity. Sulfate radicals can produced through the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of highly porous materials, demonstrate exceptional potential in activating PMS for the production of either radical or non-radical reactive species, further enhancing pollutant degradation efficiency. A literature review is carried out on the activation of peroxymonosulfate by MOF materials for antibiotics degradation. By delving into the mechanisms of PMS activation by pristine MOFs, MOF composites, and their derivatives (including both radical and non-radical pathways), this review comprehensively evaluates various MOF/PMS systems to determine their effectiveness in antibiotic degradation. Furthermore, it examines the impact of environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and initial solution concentration on the degradation process. Finally, an overview of the degradation efficiency and mechanisms of MOFs/PMS systems towards antibiotics was provided and the challenges for such applications are proposed. The findings of this review article are expected to contribute significantly to the development of innovative approaches to address the problem of antibiotic degradation in water.