Contribution of 1O2 in the efficient degradation of organic pollutants with Cu0/Cu2O/CuO@N-C activated peroxymonosulfate: A Case study with tetracycline.

Peroxymonosulfate-mediated advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs) degrading organic pollutants (Tetracycline (TC) as an example) in water with singlet oxygen (1O2) as the main reactive oxygen has received more and more attention. However, the generation mechanism of 1O2 is still unclear. Consequently, this study investigates the 1O2 formation mechanism during the activated PMS process using a nitrogen-copper-loaded carbon-based material (Cu0/Cu2O/CuO@N-C), synthesized by thermally decomposing organobase-modified HKUST-1 via a one-pot method. It was discovered that incorporating an organobase (Benzylamine) into the metal organic framework (MOF) precursor directs the MOF's self-assembly process and supplements its nitrogen content. This modification modulates the Nx-Cu-Oy active site formation in the material, selectively producing 1O2. Additionally, 1O2 was identified as the dominant reactive oxygen species in the Cu0/Cu2O/CuO@N-C-PMS system, contributing to TC degradation with a rate of 70.82%. The TC degradation efficiency remained high in the pH range of 3-11 and sustained its efficacy after five consecutive uses. Finally, based on the intermediates of TC degradation, three possible degradation pathways were postulated, and a reduction in the ecotoxicity of the degradation products was predicted. This work presents a novel and general strategy for constructing nitrogen-copper-loaded carbon-based materials for use in PMS-AOPs.

Spinel ferrites materials for sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation process: A review.

In the past decade, the sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) have been increasingly investigated because of their excellent performance and ubiquity in the degradation of emerging contaminants. Generally, sulfate radicals can be generated by activating peroxodisulfate (PDS) or peroxymonosulfate (PMS). To date, spinel ferrites (SF) materials have been greatly favored by researchers in activating PMS/PDS for their capability and unique superiorities. This article reviewed the recent advances in various pure SF, modified SF, and SF composites for PDS/PMS activation. In addition, synthesis methods, mechanisms, and potential applications of SF-based SR-AOPs were also examined and discussed in detail. Finally, we present future research directions and challenges for the application of SF materials in SR-AOPs.