Degradation of ofloxacin by peroxymonosulfate activated with cobalt-doped graphitic carbon nitride: Mechanism and performance

Abstract

In this paper, cobalt-doped graphitic carbon nitride composite photocatalyst (CoCNx) was prepared by a simple high temperature calcination approach. The catalytic activation performance of the catalyst for PMS was measured with ofloxacin as the simulated pollutant under solar light irradiation, and the effects of the amount of catalyst, PMS concentration and the initial concentration of ofloxacin on the activation performance were investigated. The results showed that CoCNx showed the higher catalytic activity for ofloxacin, and the degradation rate of ofloxacin (50 mg/L) in the CoCN10/PMS system reached 83.4% after 1 h of sunlight exposure, which was 3.4 of that in the CN/PMS system. The free radical quenching experiment showed that sulfate radical (SO4•−) was the main active species in the CoCN10/PMS system. Cobalt doped graphite carbon nitride exhibits great potential for application in the degradation of environmental pollutants.