Persulfate Activation Research Articles

Acetic acid-modified nitrogen-doped biochar loaded Fe-Co bimetal promotes persulfate activation for efficient quinoline removal and its 1O2 and O2•- pathways

Acetic acid-modified nitrogen-doped biochar loaded Fe-Co bimetal promotes persulfate activation for efficient quinoline removal and its 1O2 and O2•- pathways

Performance of Dye-Containing Wastewater Treatment Using MnxOy-Catalyzed Persulfate Oxidation

Dye wastewater is characterized by high salinity, intense coloration, difficulty in degradation, and complex organic compositions, posing significant environmental risks. Manganese oxide (MnxOy)-based materials have been widely used for the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water environments. In this study, various MnxOy polymorphs were prepared, and their catalytic activities for persulfate (PS) activation were evaluated using Orange II (AO7) as a model molecule. After 50 min treatment, the degradation efficiency of AO7 ranked as α-MnO2/PS > γ-MnO2/PS > β-MnO2/PS > Mn2O3/PS, with α-MnO2/PS achieving the highest efficiency of 98.6%. XPS, XRD, and electrochemical analyses indicated that α-MnO2 exhibited an exceptional crystal structure and performance. The α-MnO2/PS system exhibited a strong pH adaptability across a wide pH range of 3.0–9.0. The presence of coexisting anions at 0.1 mM, including Cl−, NO3−, CO32−, and SO42−, slightly reduced the degradation rate of AO7. The reactive oxygen species, mainly SO4•− and 1O2, predominantly destroyed the naphthalene ring structure of AO7. Furthermore, α-MnO2 exhibited an excellent stability, allowing for multiple reuse cycles without interference from common anions in water, highlighting its strong potential for practical applications. These results provided insights into the environmental fates of AO7 in the α-MnO2/PS system.

Atomically Dispersed Cobalt Anchored on Hollow Tubular Carbon Nitride Mediates Direct Electron Transfer and Oxygen-Related Active Species Path for Activation of Permonosulfate.

Atomically dispersed catalysts anchored on nitrogen-rich substrates present promising application potential for the persulfate-based advanced oxidation process. Nevertheless, efficient activation efficiency and a clear activated mechanism of persulfate remain challenging in carbon nitride-based single-atom catalysts (SACs). To these, combined with the regulation strategy of metal-ligand section and carrier's architecture, an atomically dispersed Co single-atom catalyst anchored on regular hollow tubular carbon nitride (Co/TCN SAC) herein was devised and utilized to activate permonosulfate. As a result, Co/TCN SACs show excellent catalytic performance for the degradation of common antibiotics. Combined with X-ray absorption fine structure and theory calculation, it is confirmed that superficially anchored CoO3 sites of the Co2N2O2-CoO3 unit are the catalytic active center for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The electrochemical test and in situ electron paramagnetic resonance results demonstrate radical (SO4•- and •OH) and nonradical (electron transfer process and 1O2) paths contributing to the superior catalytic performance. In addition, the catalyst exhibits high reaction efficiency and structural stability considering water quality parameters. Finally, a continuous and efficient device was operated on a laboratory scale, which exhibited satisfactory efficiency in continuously removing electron-rich antibiotics such as tetracycline. This work reveals the atomic-level modulation of cobalt atomic sites on hollow tubular carbon nitride and their structure-activity relationship with persulfate activation.

Iron–Cobalt Bimetallic Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Carbon Materials Activate PMS to Degrade Tetracycline Hydrochloride in Water

Organic pollutants entering water bodies lead to severe water pollution, posing a threat to human health. The activation of persulfate advanced oxidation processes using carbon materials derived from MOFs as substrates can efficiently treat wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants. This research uses NH2-MIL-101(Fe) as a substrate, doped with Fe2+ and Co2+, to prepare Fe/Co-CNs through a one-step carbonization method. The surface morphology, pore structure, and chemical composition of Fe/Co-CNs were investigated using characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, FT-IR, BET, and Raman. A comparative study was conducted on the performance of catalysts with different Fe/Co ratios in activating PMS for the degradation of organic pollutants, as well as the effects of various influencing factors (the dosage of Fe/Co-CNs, the amount of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), the initial pH of the solution, the TC concentration, and inorganic anions) on the catalyst’s activation of persulfate for TC degradation. Through radical quenching experiments and post-degradation XPS analysis, the active radicals in the FeCo-CNs/PMS system were investigated to explain the possible mechanism of TC degradation in the Fe/Co-CNs/PMS system. The results indicate that Fe/Co-CNs-2 (with a Co2+ doping amount of 20%) achieves a degradation rate of 93.34% for TC (tetracycline hydrochloride) within 30 min when activating PMS, outperforming other Co2+ doping amounts. In addition, singlet oxygen (1O2) is the main reactive species in the reaction system.

Activation of persulfate by MOF-derived MnFeOx to efficiently degrade sulfadiazine: Synergistic effects from free radicals and singlet oxygen

In this study, a facile hydrothermal approach was used to synthesize the MOFs materials [Mn-doped MIL-101(Fe)]. These materials were subsequently subjected to high temperature annealing process via calcination to generate the MOFs derivatives (MnFeOx). The synthesized materials were utilized for the removal of sulfadiazine (SDZ) removal through activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS). At the optimum Mn doping, the removal ratio of SDZ could reach 98.9 % (at natural pH) within 20 min. In addition, the study investigated the influence of PMS dosage, catalyst dosage, initial pH, various inorganic anions, and humic acid (HA) on the degradation of SDZ. The activation processes of both free and non-free radicals in the MnFeOx/PMS system were examined by free radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. The analysis of the degradation products of SDZ was conducted by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), and the breakdown pathways of SDZ in the MnFeOx/PMS system were proposed.

Synthesis of Novel Fe-CNs-P/S Carbon Materials for Sustainable Water Treatment: Activation of Persulfate for Efficient Tetracycline Degradation

This study presents a novel Fe-CNs-P/S carbon composite material, synthesized by doping elements P and S into NH2-MIL-101 (Fe) using the carbonization method. The material’s application in sustainable water treatment was evaluated, focusing on its effectiveness in activating persulfate for pollutant degradation. The research thoroughly investigates the synthesis process, structural characteristics, and performance in degrading pollutants. The results indicate that Fe-CNs-P/S-5 with 50% P and S co-doping is higher than that of other samples, where the degradation rate of TC in 30 min is as high as 98.11% under the optimum conditions, that is temperature at 25 °C, 0.05 g/L of catalyst concentration, and 0.2 g/L of PMS concentration. The composite material demonstrates robust versatility and stability, maintaining high degradation efficiency across multiple organic pollutants, with no significant reduction in catalytic performance after four cycles. Furthermore, the free radical quenching experiments display that the singlet oxygen 1O2 is the main active species. It is demonstrated that the doping of P and S play a role in the enhancement of PMS activation over the Fe-CNs-P/S catalyst. This material demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating a range of organic contaminants and exhibits excellent reusability, presenting a promising approach for enhancing sustainability in water treatment applications.

Benzylic C–H Radical Sulfation by Persulfates

Sulfation is a highly valuable pathological and physiological process, yet it is often underappreciated considering the rather difficult accessibility of organosulfates. O‐sulfonation (O–SO3), a conventional and still common way to make organosulfates, restricts its applicability to hydroxyl compounds and therein lies a major challenge of library construction. Here, we describe a benzylic C–H radical sulfation with persulfates via C–O bond formation. This strategy leverages modular control over the reactivity of persulfates and the stability of sulfate radicals by coutercations. K+/NH4+ stabilized sulfate radicals act as the oxidant to generate carbon‐centered radicals from substrates, and activation of persulfates by NBu4+ provides O–O resource pool to facilitate C–OSO3‐ bond formation via a bimolecular homolytic substitution (SH2) process.

Benzylic C-H Radical Sulfation by Persulfates.

Sulfation is a highly valuable pathological and physiological process, yet it is often underappreciated considering the rather difficult accessibility of organosulfates. O-sulfonation (O-SO3), a conventional and still common way to make organosulfates, restricts its applicability to hydroxyl compounds and therein lies a major challenge of library construction. Here, we describe a benzylic C-H radical sulfation with persulfates via C-O bond formation. This strategy leverages modular control over the reactivity of persulfates and the stability of sulfate radicals by coutercations. K+/NH4+ stabilized sulfate radicals act as the oxidant to generate carbon-centered radicals from substrates, and activation of persulfates by NBu4+ provides O-O resource pool to facilitate C-OSO3- bond formation via a bimolecular homolytic substitution (SH2) process.

Mechanism of Sulfate Radical Formation on Activation of Persulfate Using Doped Metal Oxide and Its Role in Degradation of Tartrazine Dye in an Aqueous Solution.

Degradation of tartrazine dye (TZD) was performed in this study using sulfate radicals (SO4•-) generated from the activated sodium persulfate (SPS) using Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The average particle size of the NPs was 17.49 nm from XRD analysis. The presence of the C-N group at 1129 cm-1 in FTIR and 2.54% of the nitrogen element identified from the EDX plot was evidence of successful doping of polydopamine (PDA). Superparamagnetic nature with a decrease in the Ms value to 42.015 emu/g after doping was determined. Doping was further confirmed by XPS analysis with binding energies at 399.68 and 400.99 eV. The average particle size from HRTEM analysis was 21.47 nm with a lattice spacing of 0.30 nm. Turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) values for Fe3O4@PDA were determined to be 3.72 and 0.0248 min-1 with respect to different systems, respectively. Optimum conditions for the Fe3O4@PDA/SPS system were 50 ppm TZD, 0.9 g/L catalyst, 12 mM SPS, and pH 4 with 94.68% efficiency in 150 min. The inhibition effect of ions in TZD degradation followed the order humic acid <NO3- < Cl- < CO32. The kinetic model fitting the Fe3O4@PDA/SPS system has pseudo-second-order kinetics. Excess formation of SO4•- produced hydroxyl radicals (•OH) that were identified by a scavenging test. Reusability of the NPs was performed for five cycles and showed acceptable degradation performance up to 82.47%. The intermediates identified from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) proved the cleavage of azo and sulfonate groups of TZD with the formation of nontoxic intermediates. Finally, the phytotoxicity assessment was studied using Vigna radiata (Green grams). The % decrease of the root, shoot, and seedling length for the degraded dye solution was negligible. Hence, this study proved that the Fe3O4@PDA/SPS system could effectively degrade TZD with nontoxic intermediate formation.

Activation mechanism of persulfate by Fe3C-based materials for efficient benzo-a-pyrene abatement in wastewater: The reversed direct electron transfer from persulfate to contaminants

Herein, an unusual reserved direct electron transfer (r-DET) process from persulfate (PS) to contaminants was observed on the surface of Fe3C with N-doped C shell supported on carbon nanotubes (Fe3C@CN-CNTs). The Fe3C-based materials were synthesized via a facile sol–gel method employing melamine, glucose, FeCl3, and commercial multi-walled CNTs. The activation mechanisms were fully explored with a comparison of Fe3C@CN-CNTs and other Fe3C-based materials for the effective abatement of benzo-a-pyrene (BaP), a typical persistent organic pollutant in industrial wastewater. Electrochemical measurements, zeta potential monitoring, and Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated that the lack of CN shell result the relatively large particle size of Fe3C on Fe3C-CNTs, leading to more negatively charged surface and abundant OH during PS activation. Nevertheless, the superparamagnetic fraction with a fine particle size on the surface of Fe3C@CN and Fe3C@CN-CNTs potentially leads to a more positively charged surface, enhancing the zeta potential of surface adsorbed BaP and benefiting the r-DET. Through r-DET, oxidized PS and reduced BaP formed as intermediates, accelerating the overall degradation of BaP in Fe3C@CN-CNTs/PS. The degradation pathways, cytotoxicity, and operation conditions of BaP degradation by Fe3C@CN-CNTs/PS were thoroughly investigated. Additionally, Fe3C@CN-CNTs were found to promote the nucleophilic reaction between Cl− and PS, producing free chlorine and enhancing BaP degradation efficiency in chloride-containing wastewater. Overall, this study presents a new insight for the PS-based r-DET process and offers a promising approach for treating organically-contaminated wastewater.

Heterogeneous Activation of Persulfate by Petal-Shaped Co3O4@BiOI to Degrade Bisphenol AF

In catalytic tests, the results have shown that almost all the BPAF was removed within 30 min when the dosage of Co3O4@BiOI and sodium persulfate (PS) was 0.15 g and 0.1 mM, respectively. Acid conditions inhibited BPAF degradation, but the inclusion of a precise concentration of bicarbonate ions (HCO3−) promoted degradation. The presence of chloride (Cl−), sulfate ions (SO42−), and a high concentration of HCO3− inhibited the degradation process, whereas the addition of nitrate ions (NO3−) had a minor effect on the catalytic process. The presence of free radicals (sulfate (SO4•−), hydroxyl (•OH), and superoxide (O2•−)) and the non-free radical singlet oxygen (1O2) in the Co3O4@BiOI/PS system was determined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching tests. We propose that the Co(II)/Co(III) and Bi(III)/Bi(V) redox pairs simultaneously activate PS where the Co3O4 and BiOI components work synergistically to promote the rapid oxidative degradation of BPAF in water.

Photocatalytic Fenton-like degradation of Acid Green 25 by novel aluminum nanoferrites with persulfate: Optimization by response surface methodology

Magnetic nanomaterials are gaining increasing attention for their catalytic properties and ease of recovery, making them promising candidates for the degradation of various organic pollutants. In this study, AlFe2O4 nanoparticles were employed for the first time in photocatalytic wastewater treatment. The study focused on removing Acid Green 25 anthraquinone dye through persulfate activation under UV-Visible light. AlFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via sol-gel auto-combustion method and characterized by various techniques (XRD, SEM, EDX, VSM, Raman and FTIR). Moreover, statistical analysis of the experimental data confirmed the strong performance of the RSM model in accurately representing the photocatalytic process. Under optimal conditions including persulfate and catalyst concentrations of 0.3 g/L and 0.83 g/L respectively, a solution pH of 3 and 45 minutes of contact time, a 96 % dye removal rate was achieved. The remaining persulfate concentration was 60 % and fully depleted within 90 minutes, indicating efficient activation by AlFe2O4 photocatalyst. The activation process effectively suppressed electron-hole recombination, enhancing the overall efficiency. Scavenger experiments further identified surface-bound radicals and photogenerated holes as the main reactive species. A degradation mechanism for AG25 dye via a photocatalytic Fenton-like process was proposed, highlighting dual synergistic catalysis in the dye degradation. Ecotoxicity assessments using Vibrio fischeri bioassay revealed a significant reduction in toxicity after treatment with AlFe2O4/PS/UV-Vis system. The stability of AlFe2O4 was demonstrated over five degradation cycles. The findings open new perspectives for the use of AlFe2O4 in advanced wastewater treatment technologies, positioning it as a promising material for the degradation of persistent pollutants.

A low-carbon dual-functional evaporator with photothermal and catalytic properties for enhanced VOCs removal during water evaporation

Solar interface distillation technologies are widely used for seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, and clean water production. However, during evaporation, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the water often evaporate coincidently with the water vapor, presenting a major pollutant challenge. Combining solar evaporation with advanced oxidation processes (AOP) is a potential solution for simultaneous water purification and VOC degradation. Herein, a dual-functional sponge photothermal evaporator (MBC-SA/MS) was designed to assess the efficacy of this approach. A simple porous sponge embedded with a composite catalyst, comprising MoO3−x, BiOCl, and CNT, was able to demonstrate simultaneous photothermal evaporation and catalytic degradation. MBC-SA/MS exhibited exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency and robust catalytic activity, achieving an evaporation rate of 2.1 kg m−2 h−1 under 1.0 sun intensity. Effective mitigating of phenol emissions was observed through persulfate activation resulting in 90 % phenol degradation. Life cycle assessment (LCA) confirmed this evaporator system had low environmental impact and was sustainable. This research presents a new compelling strategy for tackling VOC pollution and simultaneously enhancing water purification via solar interfacial evaporation.

Boosted Persulfate Activation Using Ba2CoMnO5 and LDH/CaCO3 for Amoxicillin Degradation: A Comparative Study

AbstractSulfate radicals based advanced oxidation processes (SR‐AOPs) have gained attention recently due to their high mineralization capability in environmental remediation. The high persulfate (PS) activation activity of cobalt‐based semiconductors has epitomized them as preferred catalysts for SR‐AOPs but shortcomings such as leaching, and loss of catalytic active sites limit their applicability. Herein, two different strategies are employed to minimize leaching and improve charge transportation and separation for efficient PS activation under visible light irradiation using LDH/CaCO3/PS and Ba2CoMnO5/PS AOP systems synthesized by solid state method. LDH/CaCO3/PS achieved 17.9% higher reaction rate than Ba2CoMnO5/PS for degradation of amoxicillin (AMX) with higher TOC mineralization efficacy. Despite SO4•− and OH• existence and involvement in both systems, the degradation pathways mapped from QTOF‐HPLC‐MS data demonstrated formation of different pathways during AMX mineralization. This work demonstrates novel fabrication of brownmillerite double layered perovskite and insulator supported LDH for environmental pollution remediation.

Enhanced synergistic catalysis of bisphenol A in river water using an anti-aging photocatalytic membrane

Bisphenol A (BPA), as an endocrine disruptor, poses a potential threat to ecosystems and human health in aquatic environments. Membrane catalytic systems can accelerate the degradation of BPA and facilitate its conversion into harmless compounds. Nevertheless, the complex nature of the water environments and the limited stability of catalysts often result in challenges such as catalyst aging and deactivation. Herein, an anti-aging multifunctional AgFeO2 catalytic material with electron transfer membrane support was prepared for synergistic catalysis of low-energy LED light (12 W) excitation and peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation. The anti-aging photocatalytic membrane completely degraded 10 ppm of BPA within 30 min, and did not show significant aging after the long-term synergistic catalytic process. In addition, actual river water was employed to assess the aging process and catalytic efficiency in a practical environment. A 60.79 cm2 photocatalytic membrane completely purified 10 L of BPA polluted river water, while the total organic carbon content decreased by 50 %. This was mainly due to the synergistic catalytic effect of the membrane, which boosted photoelectron transfer through electron transfer shortcuts, thereby enhancing persulfate activation. Overall, the multifunctional membrane provides an effective strategy for achieving a long-lasting catalytic effect and controlling photocatalyst aging in practice.

Advanced reduction processes initiated by oxidative radicals for trichloroacetic acid degradation: Performance, radical generation, and mechanism

The degradation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) in aqueous environments poses a challenge due to their oxidative resistance. Given that HAAs are highly carcinogenic disinfection byproducts, it is imperative to develop effective degradation methods to reduce their potential health risk. In this study, we found that only 27.2% of 200 μM trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was removed in the UV-activated persulfate (PS) system after 2 h, while complete removal was achieved with the addition of 15 mM formic acid (FA). The main products of TCA degradation were dichloroacetic acid and monochloroacetic acid. Results from free radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses indicated that reductive carbon dioxide radical (CO2•−) was the main active species responsible for TCA reduction. Oxidative radicals (i.e., SO4•− and •OH) generated from PS activation reacted with FA to form CO2•−, efficiently degrading TCA. The effects of PS and FA concentrations, solution pH, anions (e.g., Cl−, SO42−, and HCO3−), and small organic molecules (e.g., methanol, ethanol, and acetic acid) on degradation efficiency were examined. Overall, this study proposes a simple and efficient method to improve the degradation efficiency of HAAs in the UV/PS system and provides new insights into the advanced reduction processes used for water treatments.

Surface modification of ilmenite with sodium persulfate and its effect on flotation performance

Ilmenite is a challenging mineral to float, making the improvement of its floatability a prominent research focus. This study proposes a novel surface modification method using sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) activation in the sodium oleate system for ilmenite. The activation mechanism was investigated using micro-flotation, zeta potential analysis, adsorption measurement, contact angle measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), flotation kinetics calculation, and thermodynamic analysis. Flotation tests demonstrated a significant increase in ilmenite recovery after Na2S2O8 activation under weakly acidic conditions, particularly at pH 4.0, where recovery increased from 12.41 % to 67.24 %. Zeta potential, contact angle, and adsorption tests revealed that Na2S2O8 activation positively shifted the surface potential of ilmenite, enhancing sodium oleate adsorption and increasing hydrophobicity. FT-IR, XPS, and thermodynamic analyses showed that Na2S2O8 facilitated the conversion of Fe2+ to Fe3+ on the ilmenite surface. Additionally, activation with sodium persulfate increased the Fe3+ content on the surface from 20.13 % to 43.50 %, leading to the formation of a more stable ferric iron oleate. AFM scans confirmed that Na2S2O8 activation significantly increased the area and thickness of sodium oleate adsorbed on the ilmenite surface compared to unactivated ilmenite.

Critical trigger of self-assembled bimetallic Fe/Mn-MOF with SnS2 heterojunctions by persulfate activation for efficient tetracyclines photodegradation

Developing advanced strategies, including exposing active site centers, regulating coordination environments, controlling crystallographic facets, optimizing electronic structures and constructing defects for enhancing photocatalytic performance is of great significance to improving the ecosystem. In this study, a novel self-assembled bimetallic Fe/Mn-MOF with SnS2 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was designed using a facile multistep solvothermal method. Benefiting from the interfacial heterojunction synergistic effect, the photocatalysts exhibited an outstanding catalytic performance. Nearly 91.4% efficiency of tetracyclines was degraded within 80 min through the assistance of a persulfate-based advanced oxidation process. DFT calculations utilizing the Fukui index identified the sites vulnerable to attack by the active species. As demonstrated by the trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR), the involved oxygen-active species (•O2− and 1O2) facilitated the rapid degradation of tetracycline. The degradation pathways were further guided in the elucidation of the rationale mechanism and the toxicity of derived intermediates was revealed. This work opens a new strategy for the rational design of bimetallic photocatalysts, emphasizing interface-modulated heterojunctions for efficient solar energy conversion.

In situ treatment of contaminated soil using persulfate activated by sulfidated zero-valent iron

Soil contamination with hazardous substances like phenol poses significant environmental and health risks. In situ soil mixing can be a promising technological solution to this challenge. A persulfate and sulfidated zero-valent iron (S-ZVIbm) system for remediating contaminated soil was developed and tested to be suited to in situ soil mixing. S-ZVIbm was synthesized using a ball mill process, and the optimal sulfur to iron molar ratio for effectively removing phenol from soil removal without pyrophoric risks was 0.12. Soil slurry experiments were performed, and the best phenol oxidation results (high stoichiometric efficiency and sustained oxidation after mixing) were achieved at a persulfate to S-ZVIbm molar ratio of 2:1 and a persulfate to phenol molar ratio of 8:1. A high organic matter content of the silty clay fraction of the soil strongly suppressed persulfate activation, so suppressed phenol removal and increased persulfate consumption. Electron spin resonance and radical scavenging tests confirmed that hydroxyl and sulfate radicals were present during the degradation of phenol. While sulfate radicals predominantly facilitated degradation in the soil, both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were crucial in the aqueous phase in the absence of soil organic matter. In situ soil mixing simulation tests indicated that the persulfate and S-ZVIbm doses and the mixing rate and duration strongly affected the efficacy of the system, and the optimal conditions for phenol removal were determined. The results indicated that the persulfate/S-ZVIbm system could be tuned to achieve sustained persulfate activation and to remediate contaminated soil employing in situ soil mixing technique.

Activation of persulfate over double S-scheme photocatalyst fabricated by decoration of Fe2(MoO4)3 and MoO3 on modified g-C3N4 for degradation of pollutants

The development of nanostructured photocatalysts with high activity is essential for the remediation of effluents. Herein, modified g-C3N4 (M-CN) was integrated with Fe2(MoO4)3/MoO3 (FMO/MO) nanoparticles by one-pot hydrothermal route, and employed to activate persulfate (PS) under visible light. The M-CN/FMO/MO nanocomposites exhibited superior performance in photocatalytic removal of three antibiotics, containing amoxicillin (AMX), azithromycin (AZT), and tetracycline (TC), and three dye pollutants, including rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), and methyl orange (MO). The activity of M-CN/FMO/MO (20 %)/PS system for the removal of TC was 1.83, 5.86, and 55.0 folds as high as M-CN/FMO/MO (20 %), M-CN, and CN photocatalysts, respectively. The formation of a double S-scheme system enhanced the photocatalytic performance by effectively retaining electrons and holes, which have strong redox capabilities. This configuration significantly minimized charge recombination, thereby promoting efficient charge transfer and migration. Moreover, there was a significant increases in surface area compared to pure components, which provided active sites for pollutants. Eventually, the recycling test and successful growth of wheat seeds exhibited that the M-CN/FMO/MO (20 %)/PS system can be suitable for wastewater treatment. It is hoped that this system with attractive properties could be used as a promising system in wastewater detoxification.