MOF-derived CuO@CB@CF cathode for O2 activation to generate ROSs for efficient electro-Fenton-catalysis

Abstract

The generation of reactive radicals by molecular oxygen activation has become an important advanced oxidation technique. The combination of highly active carbon materials and stable transition metal oxides can activate molecular oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide and further produce active free radicals at the same time, which is an efficient way for the removal of organic pollutants by heterogeneous electro-Fenton (HEF) system. In this study, a novel metal organic framework (MOF) derived CuO-carbon black-carbon felt (CuO@CB@CF) composite catalytic electrode has been prepared, which can generate H2O2 efficiently by selective O2 reduction through two-electron pathway with high pollutant removal efficiency. By optimizing the calcination temperature of MOF and loading capacity, the MOF-derived CuO@CB@CF has demonstrated excellent performance as a HEF catalytic electrode. Meanwhile, the effects of applied voltage, pH value, electrode area and aeration conditions have been studied. The excellent performance of MOF-derived CuO@CB@CF provides new insights into the removal of organic pollutants through electro-Fenton processes of transition metal oxide and carbon-based catalysts.