Nonradical Oxidation Research Articles

Degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride through efficient peroxymonosulfate activation by B, N co-doped porous carbon materials derived from metal-organic frameworks: Nonradical pathway mechanism

• B, N co-doped carbon porous material was derived from metal-organic frameworks. • B-NC shows excellent performance in PMS activation and TC removal. • Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) was the domain active species in B-NC/PMS system. • Electron transfer was another non-radical oxidation pathway of B-NC/PMS system. • B-NC catalyst has relatively good stability for PMS activation. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) based advanced oxidation process has been proved to be an efficient method for Antibiotic treatment. B, N co-doped carbon porous material was derived from metal-organic frameworks. B-NC catalysts showed excellent efficiency for removal of tetracycline hydrochloride. Nitrogen doping essentially changed the degradation pathway of tetracycline hydrochloride, while boron doping provided more active sites. through more defect sites, which is closely related to the adsorption and catalytic performance of the catalyst. The major active species of B-NC/PMS system was singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) through quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies. Electron transfer was another non-radical oxidation pathway of B-NC/PMS system. This provides a new idea for the selective oxidation of antibiotics by metal-free activated PMS.

Oxidative desulfurization of liquid fuels catalyzed by W2C@C derived from metallophthalocyanine/phosphotungstic acid composites

• W 2 C@C was prepared via annealing ZnQPc/PW 12 composites at 800 °C. • Zn could promote the formation of the pure-phase W 2 C during annealing process. • W 2 C@C was firstly used as an ODS catalyst and showed remarkable performance. • DFT calculation revealed the non-radical oxidation mechanism of thiophenics over W 2 C. Herein, the tungsten carbide (W 2 C) coated with the ultrathin carbon layer (W 2 C@C) was firstly exploited as an efficient and stable oxidative desulfurization (ODS) catalyst, which was prepared via annealing metallophthalocyanine/phosphotungstic acid composites at 800 °C under N 2 atmosphere. The Zn element in precursor markedly promoted the formation of the pure-phase W 2 C during annealing process. W 2 C@C showed a remarkable ODS performance with H 2 O 2 as oxidant under mild conditions. Dibenzothiophene (DBT) was100% removed by W 2 C@C within 40 min at 50 °C. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with the radical scavenging experiments suggest that the ODS over W 2 C@C follows a non-radical mechanism that involves the facile formation of surface active oxygen species. Moreover, the W 2 C@C catalyst could be easily regenerated by solvent washing and recycled with no obvious loss of performance. Therefore, W 2 C could be firstly suggested as a promising catalyst for the ODS of liquid fuels.

Spatially isolated CoNx quantum dots on carbon nanotubes enable a robust radical-free Fenton-like process.

We unprecedentedly report spatially separated CoNx nanodots on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via a facile formamide condensation reaction. To our knowledge, CoNx-CNTs outperform the activities of current catalysts in peroxymonosulfate activation. CoNx-CNT-oriented radical-free degradation of contaminants shows robust anti-interference capacity toward environmental conditions. Our work will stimulate general interest in designing cost-effective and versatile quantum-/atom-sized catalysts with fully exposed active sites for water purification and beyond.

Preventing Re-Emission of Malodorous Dimethylamine Via Tunable Nonradical Oxidation Catalyzed by Waste Mask-Derived Carbocatalyst

Preventing Re-Emission of Malodorous Dimethylamine Via Tunable Nonradical Oxidation Catalyzed by Waste Mask-Derived Carbocatalyst

Singlet oxygen-dominated activation of peroxymonosulfate by CuO/MXene nanocomposites for efficient decontamination of carbamazepine under high salinity conditions: Performance and singlet oxygen evolution mechanism

The degradation of organic contaminants via traditional radical-dominated advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) under high salinity conditions was limited due to side reactions between coexisting inorganic anions and radicals. Herein, a nonradical oxidation process via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation by CuO/MXene for treating high-salinity organic wastewater was developed. Rapid removal efficiency of target pollutant carbamazepine (CBZ) was significantly enhanced to 95.88% within 20 min by CuO/MXene under high salinity conditions (NaCl, 200 mM), compared to the efficiency of 4.30% exhibited by PMS alone. Besides, CBZ maintained a higher removal efficiency of > 81.04% in complex highly saline wastewater composed of eight common inorganic anions. Radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis confirmed that radical and nonradical oxidation processes were involved in the catalytic process. However, singlet oxygen (1O2) was identified as the primary reactive species, and its contribution rate to CBZ degradation was > 73.58% in a wide pH range (3.0-9.0). The oxygenated functional groups and the interaction between CuO/MXene and PMS facilitated the production of 1O2. The degradation pathway was proposed based on the detection of intermediates. This work provided a new inspiration for the decontamination of organic contaminants under high salinity conditions via a nonradical oxidation process.

Origins of Electron-Transfer Regime in Persulfate-Based Nonradical Oxidation Processes.

Persulfate-based nonradical oxidation processes (PS-NOPs) are appealing in wastewater purification due to their high efficiency and selectivity for removing trace organic contaminants in complicated water matrices. In this review, we showcased the recent progresses of state-of-the-art strategies in the nonradical electron-transfer regimes in PS-NOPs, including design of metal and metal-free heterogeneous catalysts, in situ/operando characterization/analytical techniques, and insights into the origins of electron-transfer mechanisms. In a typical electron-transfer process (ETP), persulfate is activated by a catalyst to form surface activated complexes, which directly or indirectly interact with target pollutants to finalize the oxidation. We discussed different analytical techniques on the fundamentals and tactics for accurate analysis of ETP. Moreover, we demonstrated the challenges and proposed future research strategies for ETP-based systems, such as computation-enabled molecular-level investigations, rational design of catalysts, and real-scenario applications in the complicated water environment. Overall, this review dedicates to sharpening the understanding of ETP in PS-NOPs and presenting promising applications in remediation technology and green chemistry.

Deprivation of unpaired electrons on graphitic carbon nitride-based carbocatalysts by peroxydisulfate driving a nonradical oxidation process

This study aimed to seek an effective approach for graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) modification to enhance the non-photocatalytic performance on peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation. Herein, a simple one-step thermal polymerization technique was developed to modulate electronic structures of g-C3N4 by compositing with waste coffee grounds. The formed sandwich-like carbocatalysts (coffee grounds-derived graphitic carbon nitride, Cs/g-C3N4) exhibited an excellent performance on PDS activation toward bisphenol A oxidation via a nonradical pathway. The abundant unpaired electrons around the dangling bonds on the Cs/g-C3N4 surface, which were formed by the mutual substitution of N and C atoms between Cs and g-C3N4 during the annealing process, could be deprived by PDS, forming the reactive electron-deficient carbocatalysts ([Cs/g-C3N4]*) along with a spot of singlet oxygen (1O2) generation to oxidize the organic pollutants. The graphitic N and structural defects might serve as the active sites to offer the unpaired electrons. Compared to singlet oxygen, [Cs/g-C3N4]* revealed a higher mineralization efficiency to reduce the residual ecotoxicity, exhibiting a certain potential in practical applications.

Relying on the non-radical pathways for selective degradation organic pollutants in Fe and Cu co-doped biochar/peroxymonosulfate system: The roles of Cu, Fe, defect sites and ketonic group

• Fe and Cu co-doped biochar (FeCu-MSBC) was prepared using mild pyrolysis conditions. • FeCu-MSBC/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system selectively degraded contaminants. • The humic acid in sewage accelerated degradation process in FeCu-MSBC/PMS system. • The enhancement effect of doped Fe and Cu on carbon promoted the catalysis. • The whole degradation process was controlled by non-radical pathways. The green and low-cost heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate (PMS) systems with non-radical degradation pathways have a huge applied potentiality in actual water treatment. In present study, low concentration Fe and Cu co-doped biochar (FeCu-MSBC) was successfully acquired using moderate pyrolysis temperature, and employed it to activate PMS for degrading organic pollutants. The experimental results proved that the FeCu-MSBC/PMS system possessed the selective degradation for electron-rich pollutants, the outstanding resistance for interferences in actual bodies and the good regeneration performance. Besides, the possible degradation pathways of RhB in the system were explored. Meanwhile, the specific enhancement effect was found, which could be summarized as Cu doping effectively improving adsorption capacity, Fe doping greatly reducing electrical impedance and Fe and Cu co-doping increasing active sites of FeCu-MSBC. The non-radical pathways including singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) and electron transfer mediated by FeCu-MSBC controlled the whole degradation process, and the Cu, Fe, ketonic groups (C = O) and defective sites played significant roles in activating PMS and degrading pollutants. This work was helpful for developing metals co-doped carbon-based catalyst/PMS systems to selectively degrade pollutants by non-radical oxidation.

Persulfate enhanced electrochemical oxidation of phenol with CuFe2O4/ACF (activated carbon fibers) cathode

Phenol wastewater is threatened to human living environment and should been treated carefully before discharging into the environment. For my research, electrochemical (EC) oxidation of phenol using CuFe2O4/ACF cathode and mixed metal oxide (RuO2/Ti) anodes was investigated. In order to increase the EC oxidation efficiency of phenol, persulfate (PS) was added into the EC system. Various systems including EC-1 oxidation (RuO2/Ti cathode and RuO2/Ti anode), EC-2 oxidation (ACF cathode and RuO2/Ti anode), EC-3 oxidation (ACF cathode and RuO2/Ti anode, adding CuFe2O4 particle), PS oxidation (only adding PS) and EC/PS oxidation (CuFe2O4/ACF cathode and RuO2/Ti anode, adding PS) for phenol removal were compared, and the removal efficiency of phenol was determined to be 19%, 25%, 46%, 43 and 85%, respectively. Effects of K2S2O8 concentration, current density and initial pH on the removal efficiency of phenol were analyzed. The optimal phenol removal efficiency (97%) was achieved after 60 min reaction under conditions: PS concentration of 1.00 mM, current density of 50 A/m2, and initial pH of 7.0. The generation of reactive oxidant species in solution was confirmed by the electron spin resonance technique, which was in accord with the radical quenching experiments results, indicating that oxidation of phenol was assigned to radical oxidation and non-radical oxidation processes.

High microwave responsivity Co–Bi25FeO40 in synergistic activation of peroxydisulfate for high efficiency pollutants degradation and disinfection: Mechanism of enhanced electron transfer

Cobalt doped Bi25FeO40 was used as a heterogeneous catalyst in microwave (MW) co-activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) system for organic contaminant purification and disinfection simultaneously. Due to low charge-transfer resistance and fast electron migration, Co–Bi25FeO40 showed superior catalytic efficiencies for activation PDS to degrade over 92.0% of bisphenol A (BPA) with the initial concentrations ranging from 40 mg/L to 120 mg/L in 5.0 min. The non-radical oxidation pathway via electron transfer regime on the surface of Co–Bi25FeO40 was the dominant reactive species in the reaction system. Benefit from the energy transfer and cross-coupling reactions of microwave, the Co–Bi25FeO40/MW/PDS system can generate abundant reactive sites to facilitate the formation of more surface-bonding complexes. Microwave energy can be absorbed by Co–Bi25FeO40 catalysts to promote activation of PDS and production of nanobubbles. The generated nanobubbles increase the temperature of the local solution to promote the reaction. The Co–Bi25FeO40/MW/PDS system also exhibited excellent bactericidal capability for Escherichia coli (E.coli). The catalysts, oxidants and microwaves acted on E. coli to form physical, and oxidative pressure simultaneously, causing cell damaged and made bacterial death. This work provides prospects toward high-efficiency integration of contaminant purification and pathogenic microorganisms inactivation.

Panda manure biochar-based green catalyst to remove organic pollutants by activating peroxymonosulfate: Important role of non-free radical pathways

Carbonaceous materials have emerged as promising metal-free catalysts to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of organic contaminants. In this study, a low-cost carbonaceous material panda manure biochar (PBC) was prepared by pyrolysis. The panda manure biochar showed excellent performance in the degradation reaction, and the removal efficiency of sulfamethazine (SMT), which was selected as a representative organic pollutant, exceeded 85% in 40 min. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) characterization confirmed that the improved catalytic performance was attributed to the oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of the biochar. Radical quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments qualitatively demonstrated that 1O2 played an important role in the degradation of SMT. Moreover, the non-radical process that dominated in the panda manure biochar/PMS system was proposed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements. Sulfamethazine (SMT) was direct oxidized by the activated PMS where panda manure biochar acted as the electron transfer shuttle. The panda manure biochar /PMS system exhibited a high anti-interference ability to Cl−, HPO4−, HCO3-, SO42-, NO3−, and humic acid (HA) containing environments. This study provides a novel panda manure reuse process with high practicability, and proposes a reasonable degradation pathway for sulfamethazine (SMT) based on non-radical oxidation.

Synergistically boosting sulfamerazine degradation via activation of peroxydisulfate by photocatalysis of Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC under visible light irradiation

Photocatalysis-activated sulfate-radical advanced oxidation process (SR-AOP) is an effective approach to remove organic micropollutants from water. Here, we tested a photocatalysis-activated SR-AOP in which peroxydisulfate (PDS) was activated by composites of Bi2O3-TiO2 photocatalyst supported onto commercial powdered activated carbon (Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC) under visible light irradiation. This “Vis-Cata-PDS” treatment exhibited outstanding degradation performance (97.96% removal) towards sulfamerazine (SMZ) following optimized reaction conditions of 0.1 g/L Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC and 0.1 g/L PDS at pH of 7. Synergistic effects were observed between the visible-light photocatalytic activation of PDS via direct electron transfer and nonradical PDS activation over pristine PAC within Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC. Both active radicals (SO4·−, h+, ·O2−) and nonradical singlet oxygen (1O2) and the mediated electron transfer of pristine PAC within Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC were contributed to SMZ degradation. Based on intermediates identified by Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS) combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, three degradation pathways were proposed and that were mostly attributed to SO2 extrusion/Smiles-type rearrangement and S-N bond cleavage, and toxicity of intermediates were effectively alleviated. An inhibitory effect on SMZ degradation was observed for presence of HCO3−, whereas presence of SO42− was less inhibitory and Cl− had no effect. The Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC composite displayed excellent reusability and stability, and it was effective towards a number of tested micropollutants (sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, bisphenol A and methyl orange) and in real water matrixes. This work offers deep insights into the nonradical oxidation mechanism and application of Vis-Cata-PDS over a Bi2O3-TiO2/PAC composite for removal of organic micropollutants.

Novel strategy for the efficient degradation of organic contaminants using porous graphite electrodes: Synergistic mechanism of anodic and cathodic reactions

The co-activation of persulfate (PS) using electricity and carbon is a novel method used in sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes. However, the full utilisation of the synergistic effects between diverse reactions on both electrodes to achieve high PS activation and efficient removal of contaminants remains challenging. In this study, we designed porous graphite to serve as two electrodes and a continuous-flow reactor; this system resulted in internal PS activation and the degradation of organics within a specified “confined space”. With the enhancement of mass and electron transfer in the reactor, the model contaminant metronidazole (MNZ) was successfully degraded with a removal efficiency of 94.79%. The flow-through design remarkably outperformed the flow-by design, which reflected the stronger restrain of side reactions, larger electrochemical active surface area, higher active-site exposure, lower charge-transfer resistance, and higher diffusion coefficient of porous graphite electrodes. Kinetic experiments, radical scavenging experiments, and electron paramagnetic resonance tests carried out in split cells demonstrated that direct electron transfer, ∙OH oxidation, and non-radical oxidation with active PS* and 1O2 collectively contributed to the degradation of MNZ in the anode; SO4−∙ oxidation played the most significant role in the cathodic cell. Finally, the broad applicability of the reactor was confirmed by the treatment of diverse water matrixes and wastewater containing various persistent organic contaminants, showing great potential for practical applications.

Novel Nonradical Oxidation of Sulfonamide Antibiotics with Co(II)-Doped g-C3N4-Activated Peracetic Acid: Role of High-Valent Cobalt-Oxo Species.

Herein, we report that Co(II)-doped g-C3N4 can efficiently trigger peracetic acid (PAA) oxidation of various sulfonamides (SAs) in a wide pH range. Quite different from the traditional radical-generating or typical nonradical-involved (i.e., singlet oxygenation and mediated electron transfer) catalytic systems, the PAA activation follows a novel nonradical pathway with unprecedented high-valent cobalt-oxo species [Co(IV)] as the dominant reactive species. Our experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate that the Co atom fixated into the nitrogen pots of g-C3N4 serves as the main active site, enabling dissociation of the adsorbed PAA and conversion of the coordinated Co(II) to Co(IV) via a unique two-electron transfer mechanism. Considering Co(IV) to be highly electrophilic in nature, different substituents (i.e., five-membered and six-membered heterocyclic moieties) on the SAs could affect their nucleophilicity, thus leading to the differences in degradation efficiency and transformation pathway. Also, benefiting from the selective oxidation of Co(IV), the established oxidative system exhibits excellent anti-interference capacity and achieves satisfactory decontamination performance under actual water conditions. This study provides a new nonradical approach to degrade SAs by efficiently activating PAA via heterogeneous cobalt-complexed catalysts.

Natural cellulose supported carbon nanotubes and Fe3O4 NPs as the efficient peroxydisulfate activator for the removal of bisphenol A: An enhanced non-radical oxidation process

Currently, many catalysts are inconvenient to separate from water, and the solvents used in the preparation process are not environmentally friendly, resulting in low recovery efficiency and secondary pollution. In this study, the magnetic and porous regenerated cellulose/carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4 nanoparticles (RC/CNTs/Fe3O4 NPs) composites were synthesized for activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) in a green alkaline-urea system. The RC/CNTs/Fe3O4 NPs-PDS system achieved 100% removal of bisphenol A compared with CNTs (~64.6%), RC (~0%) or Fe3O4 NPs (~0%), which was closely related to the introduction of defects and functional groups, nitrogen doping and conductive networks. Interestingly, the strong interaction between CNTs and the sheath-like protective layer formed by urea on the cellulose surface promotes the introduction of nitrogen into the composites at the preparation temperature of 70 °C. Moreover, the mechanism of the system was found to be a typical non-radical pathway. Fortunately, there is no leaching of iron ions in the system, and the effects of the actual waterbody, initial pH, and different anions are negligible. The recycling and separation experiments revealed the practicality and superiority of the composite. This work provides a feasible and sustainable strategy for the application of natural cellulose-supported catalysts.

Facile synthesis of Fe(III)-doped g-C3N4 and its application in peroxymonosulfate activation for degrading refractory contaminants via nonradical oxidation

Facile synthesis of Fe(III)-doped g-C3N4 and its application in peroxymonosulfate activation for degrading refractory contaminants via nonradical oxidation

Efficacy and cytotoxicity of engineered ferromanganese-bearing sludge-derived biochar for percarbonate-induced phthalate ester degradation

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are a group of ubiquitous organic environmental contaminants. Engineered ferromanganese-bearing sludge-derived biochar (SDB), synthesized using one-step pyrolysis in the temperature range between 300 and 900 °C, was used to enable Fenton-like processes that decontaminated PAE-laden sediments. SDB was thoroughly characterized using scanning electron microscopyenergy-dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis. The maximum PAE degradation was remarkable at 90% in 12 h at pH 6.0 in the presence of 1.7 g L−1 of SDB 900. The highly-effective PAE degradation was mainly attributed to the synergism between FeOx and MnOx, which strengthened the activation of percarbonate (PC) via electron transfer, hydroxy addition, and hydrogen abstraction through radical (HO•) and nonradical (1O2) oxidation mechanisms, thereby facilitating PAE catalytic degradation over SDB in real sediments, which clearly proved the efficacy of ferromanganese-bearing SDB and PC for the remediation of contaminated sediments. The cytotoxicity exhibited by human skin keratinocyte cells exposure to high SDB concentration (100–400 µg mL−1) for 24–48 h was low indicating insignificant cellular toxicity and oxidative damages. This study provides a new strategy for freshwater sludge treatment and reutilization, which enables a water-cycle-based circular economy and waste-to-resource recycling.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Catalytic Performances of Mn2O3 Nanoparticles for Peroxymonosulfate Activation during Bisphenol A Degradation

Catalytic performances of Mn2O3 nanoparticles for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation in bisphenol A (BPA) degradation were comprehensively investigated in this study. Experimental results showed that 10 mg/L BPA could be 100% degraded within 20 min with the dosages of 0.2 g/L Mn2O3 and 0.1 mM PMS. Moreover, Mn2O3 showed remarkable activity in activation of PMS and excellent adaptability in various real water matrices, including river water, tap water and secondary effluents. Based on the radical detection and scavenging experiments, it was found that both radical and non-radical oxidation contributed to the degradation of BPA and 1O2 was the dominant species in the degradation compared to •OH, SO4•− and O2•−. A total of 15 transformation products were identified by LC/MS-MS during BPA degradation in the Mn2O3/PMS system, and degradation pathways via three routes are proposed. Compared with lab-made catalysts reported in the literature, the Mn2O3 catalyst demonstrated its superiority in terms of its high TOC removal, low PMS consumption and fast degradation rate for BPA.

The synergistic interactions of reaction parameters in heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate oxidation: Reaction kinetic and catalytic mechanism

The reaction parameters including catalyst dosage, oxidant amount, initial contaminant concentration and pH etc. play the crucial roles in the heterogeneous persulfate oxidation processes, while the synergistic interactions among these reaction parameters are still obscure. We herein took an efficient heterogeneous persulfate oxidation system “bimetallic MnxCo3−xO4 solid solution (MnCo) activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS)” for carbamazepine (CBZ) removal from water. MnCo/PMS system exhibited outstanding performance that CBZ was completely removed within 10 min. The CBZ degradation performance was ascribed to the radical oxidation of SO4·- and O2·-, the nonradical oxidation of 1O2, the redox cycles between Mn and Co species and synergistic interactions among MnCo, PMS and CBZ. By monotonously or synchronously adjusting the MnCo dosage, PMS amount and initial CBZ concentration, the inherent connections of different reaction parameters were established. Strong and different synergistic interactions between MnCo and PMS, and among MnCo, PMS and CBZ, were existed due to the formation of three different reaction modes when reaction parameters met certain conditions. The features of the modes were “two-stage, the following auto-deceleration”, “one-stage, constant velocity” and “two-stage, the following auto-acceleration”. This discovery may provide new insights into the synergistic interactions of reaction parameters in advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment.

Integration of heterogeneous photocatalysis and persulfate based oxidation using TiO2-reduced graphene oxide for water decontamination and disinfection

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) which involve the generation of highly reactive free radicals have been considered as a promising technology for the decontamination of water from chemical and bacterial pollutants. In this study, integration of two major AOPs viz., heterogeneous photocatalysis involving TiO2-reduced graphene oxide (T-RGO) nanocomposite and activated persulfate (PS) based oxidation was attempted to remove diclofenac (DCF), a frequently detected pharmaceutical contaminant in water. The enhanced visible light responsiveness of T-RGO would facilitate the use of direct sunlight as a benign and cost effective source of energy for the photocatalytic activation. By combining PS based oxidation process with T-RGO mediated photocatalysis, a DCF removal efficiency of more than 98% was achieved within 30 min. The effect of operating parameters like PS concentration and pH on DCF removal was assessed. Radical scavenging experiments indicated that apart from radical oxidation involving •OH and SO4·− radicals, a non-radical oxidation pathway was also taking place in the degradation. The antibacterial properties of the integrated system were also evaluated using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as representative bacteria. The presence of PS in the photocatalytic reaction system improved the antibacterial activity of the composite against the two strains studied. Cytotoxicity of T-RGO nanocomposite was assessed using human macrophage cell lines and the results showed that the composite is biocompatible and nontoxic at the recommended dosage for water treatment in the present study.