Facile and green synthesis of carbon nanopinnacles for the removal of chlortetracycline: Performance, mechanism and biotoxicity

Abstract

In an attempt to convert environmental pollutants into wealth, a new-type carbon nanopinnacles (CNPs) has been first designed and synthesized by high-temperature carbonization of chemical pollutant RB19 for the efficient removal of chlortetracycline via a non-radical pathway. • Chemical pollutant Reactive Blue 19 was first transformed into carbon nanopinnacles. • Carbon nanopinnacle was found to be an efficient metal-free catalyst for CTC removal via a non-radical pathway. • The surface-confined electron transfer between CTC and PMS is the major contribution for CTC degradation. • Zebrafish toxicology assays verifed that the biotoxicity of degradation products was dramatically reduced. In an attempt to convert environmental pollutants into wealth, herein, we have first designed and synthesized a new-type carbon nanopinnacles (CNPs) from Reactive Blue 19 (RB19), as a common dye pollutant, for chlortetracycline removal via a non-radical pathway. The kinetic model, quenching experiments and mechanism studies have verified that singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is selectively generated from CNPs/PMS system without any radicals (e. g. SO 4 − , HO and O 2 − ), but it is only contributed to 18.0 % of total chlortetracycline (CTC) degradation. The major contribution (82.20%) for CTC degradation probably is attributed to the surface-confined electron transfer between CTC and PMS. In addition, the full-scale zebrafish toxicology assays have indicated that antibiotic chlortetracycline exerted significantly toxic effects on zebrafish, while the biotoxicity of the chlortetracycline degradation products has been dramatically reduced. This work provides an interesting dual-decontamination strategy: First, chemical pollutant RB19 is entirely transformed into carbon nanopinnacles, Second, this carbon nanopinnacles has been successfully used as an efficient metal-free catalyst for CTC removal.