N-methyloxymoroline-N-oxide (NMMO) has been used in large quantities for the production of new solvent-treated cellulose. But, excess H2O2 used in the synthesis of NMMO from N-methylmorpholine (NMM) can adversely affect the quality of the product. This study introduces a novel approach using nitrogen and sulfur co-doped activated carbon (N,S co-doped AC) to catalyze the decomposition of residual H2O2 in NMMO products. Characterization techniques including N2 adsorption/desorption, Raman, TEM, FT-IR, and XPS were used to study the surface properties and chemistry of activated carbon doped with heteroatoms. The results revealed that AC800NS800 (800 is the calcinate temperature, NS is denoted by the co-doped of N and S) exhibited superior catalytic performance for H2O2 decomposition compared to singly doped activated carbons. Notably, over 95% of H2O2 in NMMO was decomposed, which the catalytic efficiency of AC800NS800 is no significant loss after ten times reuse. The exceptional catalytic activity of AC800NS800 is attributed to the presence of various functional groups on the surface (graphitic carbon, graphitic nitrogen, and pyrrole nitrogen). EPR tests identified HO• and O2•− as the primary reactive species in the H2O2 decomposition process. This study provides valuable insights into the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 in NMMO solutions and offers a significant reference for the production of high-quality NMMO.
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