Initiating nonradical-dominated persulfate activation by N doping on Co3O4 enables efficient organic pollutant degradation. Issue 5 (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Meng, Wenhao; Li, Xingyun; Zhang, Yuru; Wan, Haiqin; Liu, Chao; Wang, Wenjing
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental chemical engineering. Volume 10:Issue 5(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: N doping -- Cobalt oxide -- Persulfate -- Nonradical -- Organic pollutant; Chemical engineering -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Environmental aspects; Environmental engineering; Periodicals; 660.0286
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2022.108273
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-2929

Abstract

Abstract: Low-cost and efficient catalysts are decisive for the broadened implementation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) in wastewater remediation. Based on the modified hypothesis by inducing a nonradical pathway, we designed the N-doped Co3 O4 (N-Co3 O4 ) for peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation by facile post-treatment of Co3 O4 with N precursor at low temperature. The N-Co3 O4 /PDS system exhibited excellent degradation efficiency (98.7 %) in 1 h for the removal of typical organic pollutant (acid organic 7), enhanced by 41.4 % compared to Co3 O4 /PDS. Remarkably, distinguish from sluggish degradation by Co3 O4, N-Co3 O4 achieved an enhanced kinetic process with the degradation efficiency of 97.7 % in 5 min, making it outstanding to save time and economic costs. We discovered the activation mechanism by N-Co3 O4 covered the nonradical pathways of singlet oxygen ( 1 O2 ) and electron transfer, overcoming the sole radical pathway of Co3 O4 . The emerging oxygen vacancies on N-Co3 O4 boosted the generation of active 1 O2 with O2 − intermediates, and benefited the electron transfer process with lower resistance. N doping introduced Co-N basic sites facilitated the PDS adsorption, improving the electron transfer capability. This study proposes a facile protocol to convert transition metal oxide to functional catalyst and demonstrates the immense potential to create nonradical dominated degradation. Graphical Abstract: ga1 Highlights: N doping improved the removal efficiency and kinetic process of N-Co3 O4 . N doping initiated the nonradicals of 1 O2 and electron transfer for N-Co3 O4 . Oxygen vacancies generated active 1 O2 with O2 − intermediates. Co-N basic sites facilitated PDS adsorption and electron transfer.