Catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B by a novel cobalt complex based on TTF derivative

Abstract

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) are efficient avenues for removal of organic pollutants in water, while Co-based materials exhibit great potential in activating PMS to generate more SO4•− radicals for enhanced catalytic activity. In this work, a new binuclear cobalt complex with the formulas of Co2(H2DBTTF)2(phen)4 (1) was synthesized based on benzotetrathiafulvalene tetracarboxylic acid (H4DBTTF) ligand with redox-active properties. The experimental results show that complex 1 can effectively activate PMS to degrade Rhodamine B (Rh B), and the catalytic degradation efficiency reaches 98.1% in the pH range of 5–9 with excellent cycle performance and stability. Complex 1 can not only effectively activate the PMS to generate O2•− and SO4•− free radicals, but also promote the charge transfer of each component, which significantly improves the degradation rate of Rh B. More importantly, the TTF•+ cation radical derived from the H4DBTTF ligand is also beneficial to the degradation of Rh B. This work provides a new strategy for constructing efficient catalysts for AOPs based on radical-containing ligands.