Synergistic activation of peroxymonosulfate for efficient aqueous p-nitrophenol degradation with Cu(II) and Ag(I) in Ag2Cu2O3

Abstract

Recently, the development of efficient mixed metal oxide catalysts for organic pollutants degradation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is a hot topic in the area of wastewater treatment. In this work, the silver-copper mixed-oxide, Ag2Cu2O3 (ACO) was reported for the first time as a highly active catalyst for removing organic pollutants in the presence of PMS. ACO was successfully synthesized from Ag+ and Cu2+ ions at 60 °C, and its structure was strongly influenced by the temperature. The catalyst could almost completely remove p-nitrophenol and other pollutants with 0.65 mM PMS after 20 min, and also exhibited satisfactory stability and recyclability. The system efficiency was shown to vary with the concentration of PMS and catalyst, as well as solution pH. Scavenger experiment and EPR analysis indicated that radicals produced by the oxidation of Ag(I) and Cu(I) with PMS could promote degradation reaction. The synergistic effect between Cu and Ag in the bimetallic catalyst was demonstrated to contribute to the high performance: Cu(II)-O-Ag(I) bonds promote the conversion of Cu(II) species to Cu(I) through reaction with PMS, and facilitate the oxidation of Cu(I) and Ag(I) by PMS to generate active radicals. The study provides a feasible strategy to design efficient and stable bimetal oxide catalysts for PMS activation.