MOFs-derived magnetic C@Cu–Ni bimetal particles: An efficient peroxymonosulfate activator for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation

Abstract

In this study, magnetic Cu and Ni bimetallic particles embedded carbon sheets, namely as C@Cu–Ni, was derived via calcining a mixture of Cu-MOFs and Ni-MOFs (mass ratio = 4:6) under N2 protection and served as a catalyst for the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) by peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The results showed that more than 98.5% of 2,4,6-TCP (10 mg L−1) was rapidly decomposed at initial pH = 5, PMS = 1 mM and catalyst dosage = 0.1 g L−1 within 30 min, accompanied by 42.47% removal of total organic carbon (TOC). This fully confirmed that C@Cu–Ni possessed excellent catalytic performance for PMS activation. The radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation testified that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) included SO4•−, •OH, O2•− radicals and singlet oxygen (1O2), which were responsible for the rapid degradation of 2,4,6-TCP. Among them, O2•−and 1O2 played a decisive role. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that C@Cu–Ni material possessed superior electrical conductivity and electron transfer, improving its catalytic activity. What is more, C@Cu–Ni displayed excellent stability and could be consecutively used for five times without any decline of catalytic performance. The main intermediates of the 2,4,6-TCP degradation were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and possible pathways of 2,4,6-TCP degradation were further proposed. The extraordinary stability and superior catalytic activity of C@Cu–Ni coupled with its easy separation from wastewater due to magnetism suggest that the newly synthesized material may offer a promising alternative approach to efficiently degrade organic pollutants by PMS.