Al/Ca-doped CuFe2O4 prepared from waste printed circuit boards as a magnetic peroxymonosulfate activator for the degradation of organic pollutants

Abstract

Cu-containing heterogeneous catalysts are being increasingly used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and remove organic pollutants from wastewater. However, expensive raw materials and limited metal resources restrict the practical applications of these catalysts. In this study, waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), a typical Cu-rich electronic waste, were used to prepare Al/Ca-doped CuFe2O4 (PCBs-CuFe2O4) with the assistance of Fe3+. The obtained PCBs-CuFe2O4, doped with the catalytically inert metals Al and Ca, possessed abundant porous structures, high specific surface areas, rich surface oxygen vacancies, and excellent magnetic properties. Despite its relatively poor purity and crystallinity compared to those of CuFe2O4 prepared using commercial chemicals, PCBs-CuFe2O4 exhibited superior performance in reactive blue 19 (RB19) degradation by activating PMS. Additionally, the PCBs-CuFe2O4/PMS system exhibited strong resistance to pH and water matrices, confirming the practical application of PCBs-CuFe2O4 for the elimination of organic pollutants in wastewater. Furthermore, the results of electrochemical measurements, quenching experiments, and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis revealed that 1O2 plays an important role in the degradation of RB19. The Cu(I)/Cu(II), Fe(II)/Fe(III), and OV of PCBs-CuFe2O4 dominate the activation of PMS. Thus, this study presents a novel strategy for reutilizing waste PCBs and eliminating organic contaminants in wastewater.