Peroxymonosulfate catalytic degradation of persistent organic pollutants by engineered catalyst of self-doped iron/carbon nanocomposite derived from waste toner powder

Abstract

The fabrication of engineered catalysts with low cost, high activity, and good reusability is challenging for persulfate-based advanced oxidation processes in wastewater treatment. Inspired by the inherent components of waste toner powder including Fe3O4, polymers and carbon black, facile carbonization was applied to fabricate nanocomposite as heterogeneous catalyst. Magnetic self-doped iron/carbon nanocomposite was verified by multiple characterization techniques. The catalytic degradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in peroxymonosulfate activation was extensively investigated. The iron/carbon nanocomposite obtained at 900 °C showed high catalytic activity (97.38% degradation within 11 min), broad operation pH (3.0–9.0), low activation energy (12 kJ mol−1), and good reusability for rhodamine B degradation. Effective degradation of methylene blue, tetracycline, and sodium butyl xanthate, as well as mixed dyes was obtained in the catalytic system process. The catalytic mechanism involving radical and non-radical pathways contributes to pollutant degradation. The fabrication of engineered catalyst has favorable environmental and energy metrics compared to other reported catalysts. This study expands research ideas for fabrication of engineered catalyst and provides insights into POPs degradation by persulfate activation.