This work investigated the catalytic activity of co-pyrolyzed biochar (MP-SBC) from microplastic (MP) and Spirulina biomass and its activation mechanism for peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Given that different types of MPs had varied effects on the properties of biochar, polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polylactic acid (PLA) were chosen as MP feedstocks. The results showed that the four kinds of MP-SBCs activated PMS more efficiently than the pristine algal-based biochar (SBC), with 100 % of the acetaminophen (ACT) degraded within 20 min. Based on the reaction mechanism analysis, the main pathways for the degradation of ACT by SBC and MP-SBC activated PMS were both non-radical pathways, and ACT was also efficiently degraded by the synergistic effect of 1O2 and electron transport pathway (ETP). Moreover, it was found that the microplastic modification could significantly enhance the efficacy of SBCs in triggering the non-radical pathway. Establishing the correlation between the structural features of BC and the degradation mechanism (active species contribution) revealed that the persistent free radicals (PFRs), defective structures, CO, and graphite N are all potential active sites. Thereinto, PFRs are the active sites for radicals, defects are the active sites for 1O2 production, and CO, defects, and graphitic N are the active sites for ETP. Overall, this work provides an innovative approach for designing efficient biochar-based catalysts for environmental remediation.
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