Facile fabrication of CuO for removal of organic pollutants through peroxymonosulfate activation

Abstract

• Facile fabrication of CuO catalyst via a simple hydrothermal method. • CuO/PMS system exhibited high efficiency for elimination of aqueous organic pollutants. • The co-existing anions and small molecule acids affected the activity of CuO/PMS system. • SO 4 •- and • OH played an important role in the degradation of organic pollutants. CuO was prepared via a simple hydrothermal method and characterized by several characterization techniques. The prepared CuO had high efficiency for elimination of organic pollutants by activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), more than 97% methylene blue (MB) was degraded in 20 min. Quenching experiment indicated that SO 4 •- and • OH all contributed to MB degradation. Besides, the effects of CuO dosage, PMS concentration and initial pH on the removal of MB were investigated in detail. The co-existing anions and humic acid inhibited the activity of CuO/PMS system. In addition, CuO/PMS system possessed excellent ability for MB degradation in tap water and lake water, and excellent performance in the degradation of methyl orange and tetracycline hydrochloride. Overall, CuO activating PMS is a promising technique for the removal of organic pollutants from complex background.