High-efficient peroxymonosulfate activation for rapid atrazine degradation by FeSx@MoS2 derived from MIL-88A(Fe)

Facilely tuning the coating layers of Fe nanoparticles from iron carbide to iron nitride for different performance in Fenton-like reactions

In this study, a series of Fe-based materials are facilely synthesized using MIL-88A and melamine as precursors. Changing the mass ratio of melamine and MIL-88A could tune the coating layers of generated zero-valent iron (Fe0) particles from Fe3C to Fe3N facilely. Compared to Fe/Fe3N@NC sample, Fe/Fe3C@NC exhibits better catalytic activity and stability to degrade carbamazepine (CBZ) with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) as oxidant. Free radical quenching tests, open-circuit potential (OCP) test and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra (EPR) prove that hydroxyl radicals (OH) and superoxide radical (O2-) are dominant reactive oxygen species (ROSs) with Fe/Fe3C@NC sample. For Fe/Fe3N@NC sample, the main ROSs are changed into sulfate radicals (SO4-) and high valent iron-oxo (Fe (IV)=O) species. In addition, the better conductivity of Fe3C is beneficial for the electron transfer from Fe0 to the Fe3C, thus could keep the activity of the surface sites and obtain better stability. DFT calculation reveals the better adsorption and activation ability of Fe3C than Fe3N. Moreover, PMS can also be adsorbed on the Fe sites of Fe3N with shorter FeO bonds and longer SO bonds than on Fe3C, the Fe (IV)=O is thus present in the Fe/Fe3N@NC/PMS system. This study provides a novel strategy for the development of highly active Fe-based materials for Fenton-like reactions and thus could promote their real application.

Efficient ofloxacin degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation using an S-scheme MoS2/Co3O4 heterojunction composite under visible light: Performance and mechanistic insights

Sulfate-radical-mediated photocatalysis technology peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation via visible light irradiation shows great promise for water treatment applications. However, its effectiveness largely depends on the bifunctional performance of photocatalysis and PMS activation provided by the catalysts. In this study, we successfully synthesized a novel S-scheme MoS2/Co3O4 (MC) heterojunction composite by a hydrothermal method and employed it for the first time to activate PMS for ofloxacin (OFX) degradation under visible light irradiation. The MC-5/PMS/Vis system achieved an impressive 85.11% OFX degradation efficiency within 1 min and complete OFX removal within 15 min under optimal conditions, with an apparent first-order kinetics rate constant of 0.429 min-1. Reactive species trapping experiments and electron spin resonance analysis identified 1O2, h+, and •O2- as the primary active species responsible for OFX degradation. Photoelectrochemical analyses and density functional theory calculations indicated the formation of a built-in electric field between MoS2 and Co3O4, which enhanced the separation and migration of photoinduced carriers. Additionally, the Co-Mo interaction further increased the yield of dominant reactive species, thereby boosting photocatalytic activity. This work underscores the potential of visible-light-assisted PMS-mediated photocatalysis using Co3O4-based catalysts for effective pollutant control.

Multi-channel electron transfer induced by polyvanadate in metal-organic framework for boosted peroxymonosulfate activation

Catalytic peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation processes don't solely rely on electron transfer from dominant metal centers due to the complicated composition and interface environment of catalysts. Herein the synthesis of a cobalt based metal-organic framework containing polyvanadate [V4O12]4- cluster, Co2(V4O12)(bpy)2 (bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine), is presented. The catalyst demonstrates superior degradation activity toward various micropollutants, with higher highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), via nonradical attack. The X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that Co sites act as both PMS trapper and electron donor. In situ spectral characterizations and DFT calculations reveal that the terminal oxygen atoms in the [V4O12]4- electron sponge could interact with the terminal hydrogen atoms in PMS to form hydrogen bonds, promoting the generation of SO5* intermediate via both dynamic pull and direct electron transfer process. Further, Co2(V4O12)(bpy)2 exhibits long-term water purification ability, up to 40 h, towards actual wastewater discharged from an ofloxacin production factory. This work not only presents an efficient catalyst with an electron sponge for water environmental remediation via nonradical pathway, but also provides fundamental insights into the Fenton-like reaction mechanism.

Facile synthesis of defect-rich interfacial Mo/MoO2 for efficient peroxymonosulfate activation and refractory pollutants degradation

Peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation process (PMS-AOP) has shown great potential in sewage purification, and catalyst development capable of efficient PMS activation is a key while challenging element. Herein we reported a facile electro-explosive route to synthesize the oxygen vacancy (Vo)-enriched Mo/MoO2 without using chemical reagents. The detailed studies suggested that the synergy of Mo active site and Vo in the catalyst significantly boosted the activation kinetics of PMS. Evidently, the Mo site of different oxidation states contributed to chemical activation of PMS, while the Vo favored the activation of PMS and the generation of non-radical 1O2 species. As a result, the Mo/MoO2-10 h/PMS system delivered a complete removal of acid orange 7 (AO7) within 4 min, significantly exceeding the activity of Mo/PMS (16%), MoO2-H/PMS (25%) and most of other PMS-based systems. Moreover, the current system showed high potential for removal of different pollutants including antibiotics and organic dyes. Radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies revealed that the 1O2 species was significant for AO7 decomposition. This work provided a novel strategy to a batch-scale synthesis of high-performance PMS activator for water remediation in practice.

Using UV/peracetic acid as pretreatment for subsequent bio-treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater treatment: Mitigating microbial inhibition and antibiotic resistance genes proliferation

UV/peracetic acid (PAA) treatment presents a promising approach for antibiotic removal, but its effects on microbial community and proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during the subsequent bio-treatment remain unclear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of the UV/PAA on tetracycline (TTC) degradation, followed by introduction of the treated wastewater into the bio-treatment system to monitor changes in ARG expression and biodegradability. Results demonstrated effective TTC elimination by the UV/PAA system, with carbon-centered radicals playing a significant role. Crucially, the UV/PAA system not only eliminated antibacterial activity but also inhibited potential ARG host growth, thereby minimizing the emergence and dissemination of ARGs during subsequent bio-treatment. Additionally, the UV/PAA system efficiently removed multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria and ARGs from the bio-treatment effluent, preventing ARGs from being released into the environment. Hence, we propose a multi-barrier strategy for treating antibiotic-containing wastewater, integrating UV/PAA pre-treatment and post-disinfection with bio-treatment. The inhibition of ARGs transmission by the integrated system was verified through actual soil testing, confirming its effectiveness in preventing ARGs dissemination in the surrounding natural ecosystem. Overall, the UV/PAA treatment system offers a promising solution for tackling ARGs challenges by controlling ARGs proliferation at the source and minimizing their release at the end of the treatment process.

Efficient visible light-driven photodegradation of glyphosate utilizing Bi2WO6 with oxygen vacancies: Performance, mechanism, and toxicity assessment

Global environmental deterioration poses a major risk to ecological security and human health, and emerging technologies are urgently needed to deal with it. Therefore, the exploitation of photocatalysts with favorable activity for efficient degradation of pesticide contaminants is one of the strategies to achieve environmental remediation. Herein, oxygen vacancy-rich Bi2WO6 (Ov-BWO) was prepared through a solvothermal method utilizing ethylene glycol (EG), which exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficiency in photodegradation of glyphosate. The formation of oxygen vacancies (Ovs) in Ov-BWO was demonstrated utilizing XPS and EPR. PL, TRPL, photocurrent tests, and EIS analyses revealed that Ovs accelerated effective transfer of photogenerated charge, extended lifetime of charge carriers, promoted production of active species and significantly improved the photocatalytic performance. Compared with the low-activity Bi2WO6 (BWO, 59.6%), Ov-BWO showed outstanding photocatalytic activity, achieving a degradation efficiency of 91% for glyphosate at 120 min of visible light irradiation. Moreover, Ov-BWO also displayed outstanding recyclable stability after four repeated uses. Based on the characterization of photoelectric properties, a feasible photocatalytic reaction was put forth, along with glyphosate degradation pathways. Furthermore, the degradation intermediates of glyphosate were analyzed in detail employing HPLC-MS. The toxicity assessment indicated that degraded products had been proven to be non-toxic to the ecological system. This work presents the potential of photocatalysts with Ovs for the photodegradation of pesticides, providing a viable strategy for environmental renovation.

Biodegradation of penicillin G sodium by Sphingobacterium sp. SQW1: Performance, degradation mechanism, and key enzymes

Biodegradation is an efficient and cost-effective approach to remove residual penicillin G sodium (PGNa) from the environment. In this study, the effective PGNa-degrading strain SQW1 (Sphingobacterium sp.) was screened from contaminated soil using enrichment technique. The effects of critical operational parameters on PGNa degradation by strain SQW1 were systematically investigated, and these parameters were optimized by response surface methodology to maximize PGNa degradation. Comparative experiments found the extracellular enzyme to completely degrade PGNa within 60 min. Combined with whole genome sequencing of strain SQW1 and LC-MS analysis of degradation products, penicillin acylase and β-lactamase were identified as critical enzymes for PGNa biodegradation. Moreover, three degradation pathways were postulated, including β-lactam hydrolysis, penicillin acylase hydrolysis, decarboxylation, desulfurization, demethylation, oxidative dehydrogenation, hydroxyl reduction, and demethylation reactions. The toxicity of PGNa biodegradation intermediates was assessed using paper diffusion method, ECOSAR, and TEST software, which showed that the biodegradation products had low toxicity. This study is the first to describe PGNa-degrading bacteria and detailed degradation mechanisms, which will provide new insights into the PGNa biodegradation.

Chitosan derived N-doped carbon anchored Co3O4-doped MoS2 nanosheets as an efficient peroxymonosulfate activator for degradation of dyes

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which is dominated by non-free radical pathway, has a good removal effect on organic pollutants in complex water matrices. In this article, a biodegradable cobalt-based catalyst (Co3O4/MoS2@NCS) was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method with chitosan (CS) as nitrogen‑carbon precursor and doped with Cobaltic‑cobaltous oxide (Co3O4) and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and was used to activate PMS to degrade dye wastewater. Electrochemical tests showed that Co3O4/MoS2@NCS exhibited higher current density and cycling area than MoS2@NCS and MoS2. In the Co3O4/MoS2@NCS/PMS system, the degradation rate of 30 mg·L-1 rhodamine B (RhB) reached 97.75 % within 5 min, and kept as high as 94.34 % after 5 cycles. Its rate constant was 1.91 and 8.37 times that of MoS2@NCS/PMS and MoS2/PMS, respectively. It had good complex background matrices and acid-base anti-interference ability, and had good universality and reusability. The degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) were more than 91 % within 5 min at pH 4.8. The experimental results demonstrated that MoS2-modified CS as a carrier exposed a large number of active sites, which not only dispersed Co3O4 nanoparticles and improved the stability of the catalyst, but also provided abundant electron rich groups, and promoted the activation of PMS and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PMS was effectively activated by catalytic sites (Co3+/Co2+, Mo4+/Mo5+/Mo6+, CO, pyridine N, pyrrole N, hydroxyl group and unsaturated sulfur), producing a large number of radicals that attack RhB molecules, causing chromophore cleavage, ring opening, and mineralization. Among them, non-free radical 1O2 was the main ROS for RhB degradation. This work is expected to provide a new idea for the design and synthesis of environmentally friendly and efficient MoS2-modified cobalt-based catalysts.

Surface reconstructed Fe@C1000 for enhanced Fenton-like catalysis: Sustainable ciprofloxacin degradation and toxicity reduction

The Fe-based catalysts typically undergo severe problems such as deactivation and Fe sludge emission during the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, which commonly leads to poor operation and secondary pollution. Herein, an S-doped Fe-based catalyst with a core-shell structure (Fe@CT, T = 1000°C) was synthesized, which can solve the above issues via the dynamic surface evolution during the reaction process. Specifically, the Fe0 on the surface of Fe@C1000 could be consumed rapidly, leaving numerous pores; the Fe3C from the core would subsequently migrate to the surface of Fe@C1000, replenishing the consumed active Fe species. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses demonstrated that the reaction surface reconstructed during the PMS activation, which involved the FeIII in-situ reduction by S species as well as the depletion/replenishment of effective Fe species. The reconstructed Fe@C1000 achieved near-zero Fe sludge emission (from 0.59 to 0.08-0.23 mg L-1) during 5 cycles and enabled the dynamic evolution of dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) from SO4·- to FeIVO, sustainably improving the oxidation capacity (80.0-92.5% in following four cycles) to ciprofloxacin (CIP) and reducing the toxicity of its intermediates. Additionally, the reconstructed Fe@C1000/PMS system exhibited robust resistance to complex water matrix. This study provides a theoretical guideline for exploring surface reconstruction on catalytic activity and broadens the application of Fe-based catalysts in the contaminants elimination.

Ultrafast removal of organics via peroxymonosulfate activation over Co2P/TD hollow spheres derived from ZIF-67

Co2P/tetrasodium diphosphate (TD) derived from ZIF-67/sodium phytate was newly developed and synthesized, and exhibited excellent degradation ability toward various refractory organics via peroxymonosulfate activation. A corresponding reaction mechanism was proposed. In addition, a continuous-flow operation of phenol degradation was realized.

Amino acid promoted oxidation of atrazine by Fe3O4/persulfate

In the present study, we demonstrated that the presence of cysteine could remarkably enhance the degradation of atrazine by Fe3O4/persulfate system. The results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra confirmed the combination of cysteine and Fe3O4 exhibited much higher activity on activation of persulfate to generate more SO4•- and •OH than Fe3O4 alone. At pH of 3.0, SO4•- and •OH contributed to about 58.2 % and 41.8 % of atrazine removal respectively, while •OH gradually dominated the oxidation of atrazine from neutral condition to alkaline condition. The co-existing Cl- and HCO3- could quench SO4•-, resulting in the inhibition of atrazine degradation. The presence of low natural organic matters (NOM) concentration (0-2 mg L-1) could enhance the atrazine removal, and high concentration (>5 mg L-1) of NOM restrained the atrazine degradation. During the Cysteine/Fe3O4/Persulfate process, cysteine served as a complexing reagent and reductant. Through acidolysis and complexation, Fe3O4 could release dissolved and surface bound Fe2+, both of which contributed to the activation of persulfate together. Meanwhile, cysteine was not rapidly consumed due to a regeneration process, which was beneficial for maintaining Fe2+/Fe3+ cycle and constantly accelerating the activation of persulfate for atrazine degradation. The reused Fe3O4 and cysteine in the Cysteine/Fe3O4/Persulfate process exhibited high stability for the atrazine degradation after three cycles. The degradation pathway of atrazine included alkylic-oxidation, dealkylation, dechlorination-hydroxylation processes. The present study indicates the novel Cysteine/Fe3O4/Persulfate process might be a high potential for treatment of organic polluted water.

Mechanism of p-Type Heteroatom Doping of Lithium Stannate for the Photodegradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol: Enhanced Hole Oxidative Capability and Concentrations

A systematic evaluation of enhancing photocatalysis via aliovalent cation doping is conducted. Cation In3+, being p-type-doped, was chosen to substitute the Sn site (Sn4+) in Li2SnO3, and the photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol was applied as a model reaction. Specifically, Li2Sn0.90In0.10O3 exhibited superior catalytic performance; the photodegradation efficiency reached about 100% within only 12 min. This efficiency is far greater than that of pure Li2SnO3 under identical conditions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that introducing In3+ increased the electron mobility, yet decreased the hole mobility, leading to photogenerated carrier separation. However, photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence suggest that In3+ induced nonradiative coupling in the matrix, reducing the photogenerated carrier separation ratio compared with that of Li2SnO3. The optical band gap of Li2Sn0.90In0.10O3 was almost unchanged compared with that of Li2SnO3 via ultraviolet-visible absorption. The increased photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to the lower valence band position and enhanced hole concentrations by valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements. Finally, a 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation pathway, an intermediate toxicity assessment, and a photocatalytic mechanism were proposed. This work offers insights into designing and optimizing semiconductor photocatalysts with high performance.

Electrocatalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol on metal-free cathode: Superoxide radical (O2•-) production via molecular oxygen activation

Although metal-free electrodes in molecular oxygen-activated Fenton-like wastewater treatment technologies have been developed, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation mechanisms are still not sufficiently clear. As a typical example of refractory phenolic wastewater, p-nitrophenol (PNP) has been widely studied. This study demonstrated the critical role of superoxide radicals (O2•-) in PNP degradation by metal-free electrodes through electron spin resonance (ESR), ROS quenching, and density functional theory (DFT) tests. The most superior metal-free electrode exhibited a mass activity of approximately 133.5 h-1 gcatalyst-1. Experimental and theoretical studies revealed the mechanism of O2•- generation via oxygen activation, including one- and three-electron transfer pathways, and found that O2•- mainly attacked the nitro group of PNP to degrade and transform the pollutant. This study enhances the mechanistic understanding of metal-free materials in the electrochemical degradation of refractory pollutants.

Selective oxidation of organic pollutants based on reactive oxygen species and the molecular structure: Degradation behavior and mechanism analysis

The selective and rapid elimination of refractory organic pollutants from surface water is significant. However, the relationship of between reactive oxygen species (ROSs) and diversified pollutants molecular structures still needs to be further clarified. Here, we utilize polydopamine (PDA)-assisted coating strategy to prepare hollow 2D carbon nanosheet (ZPL-HCNS) and 2D Co3O4 nanosheet (ZPL-Co3O4) by thermolysis of PDA coated ZIF-L (ZIF-L@PDA) precursor under different gas atmosphere, which realizes the controlled generation of radicals and non-radicals. Organic pollutants including bisphenols, sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracyclines, and azo dyes are applied to assess the catalytic performance. Results show that dyes containing azo structure are more likely to be degraded by radical process, which is due to that the energy (ΔE) requirements to break the azo bond is higher than energy released from singlet oxygen to oxygen molecule and lower than that of sulfate radical to sulfate. Frontier molecular orbital theory HOMO-LUMO and Fukui function expounded the possible selectivity mechanism. In addition, the degradation pathway and biotoxicity test are carried out. This work provides a reference to illustrate the selective degradation for ROSs and molecular structure of pollutants.

Deep mineralization of VOCs in an embedded hybrid structure CoFe2O4/MoS2/PMS wet scrubber system

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based advanced oxidation processes in liquid phase systems can actively degrade toluene. In this work, the catechol structural surfactant was introduced to synthesize the dispersed and homogeneous CoFe2O4 nanospheres and embedded into MoS2 nanoflowers to form magnetically separable heterojunction catalysts. The innovative approach effectively mitigated the traditionally low reduction efficiency of transition metal ions during the heterogeneous activation process. In CoFe2O4/MoS2/PMS system, the toluene removal efficiency remained 95% within 2 h. The contribution of SO4⋅-, ·O2-, ·OH, and 1O2 was revealed by radical quenching experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results illustrated that MoS2 offers ample reduction sites for facilitating PMS activation via Fe3+/Fe2+ redox interactions. Furthermore, an investigation into the toluene degradation pathway within the CoFe2O4/MoS2/PMS system revealed its capability to suppress the formation of toxic byproducts. This ambient-temperature liquid-phase method presented promising route for the removal of industrial volatile organic pollutants.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots Encapsulated a Polyoxomolybdate-Based Coordination Polymer as a Sensitive Platform for Trace Tetracycline Determination in Water

The requirement of simple, efficient and accurate detection of tetracycline (TC) in water environments poses new challenges for sensing platform development. Here, we report a simple method for TC sensing via fluorescence detection based on metal-organic coordination polymers (MOCPs, (4-Hap)4(Mo8O26)) coated with nitrogen-doped carbon dots (NCDs). These NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) composites showed excellent luminescence features of NCDs with stable bright-blue emission under UV light. The results of the sensing experiment showed that the fluorescence of NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) can be quenched by TC (166 µM) with 94.1% quenching efficiency via the inner filter effect (IFE) in a short time (10 s), with a detection limit (LOD) of 33.9 nM in a linear range of 8-107 µM. More significantly, NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) showed a high selectivity for TC sensing in the presence of anions and metal cations commonly found in water environments and can be reused in at least six cycles after washing with alcohol. The potential practicality of NCDs@(4-Hap)4(Mo8O26) was verified by sensing TC in real water samples with the standard addition method, and satisfactory recoveries from 91.95% to 104.72% were obtained.

Insights into Electrochemical Dehalogenation by Non-Noble Metal Single-Atom Cobalt with High Efficiency and Low Energy Consumption

It is critical to discover a non-noble metal catalyst with high catalytic activity capable of replacing palladium in electrochemical reduction. In this work, a highly efficient single-atom Co-N/C catalyst was synthesized with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a precursor for electrochemical dehalogenation. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed that Co-N/C exhibited a Co-N4 configuration, which had more active sites and a faster charge-transfer rate and thus enabled the efficient removal of florfenicol (FLO) at a wide pH, achieving a rate constant 3.5 and 2.1 times that of N/C and commercial Pd/C, respectively. The defluorination and dechlorination efficiencies were 67.6 and 95.6%, respectively, with extremely low Co leaching (6 μg L-1), low energy consumption (22.7 kWh kg-1), and high turnover frequency (TOF) (0.0350 min-1), demonstrating excellent dehalogenation performance. Spiking experiments and density functional theory (DFT) verified that Co-N4 was the active site and had the lowest energy barrier for forming atomic hydrogen (H*) (ΔGH*). Capture experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electrochemical tests, and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) proved that H* and direct electron transfer were responsible for dehalogenation. Toxicity assessment indicated that FLO toxicity decreased significantly after dehalogenation. This work develops a non-noble metal catalyst with broad application prospects in electrocatalytic dehalogenation.

Fast degradation of atrazine by nZVI-Cu0/PMS: Re-evaluation and quantification of reactive species, generation pathways, and application feasibility

Additive metal to zero-valent iron (ZVI) could enhance the reduction ability and the additive Cu0 was incorporated to ZVI to accelerate PMS activation with atrazine (ATZ) as target compound. The efficiencies of ATZ degradation and PMS decomposition climbed up firstly and then declined as Cu0 loading increased from 0.01 to 1.00 wt% with the maximums at 0.10 wt%. SO4•-, HO•, Fe(IV), O2•- and 1O2 were generated by nZVI-Cu0/PMS based on the results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and simultaneous degradation of nitrobenzene, ATZ, and methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO). The rate constant of Fe(IV) and ATZ was estimated as 7 × 104 M-1∙s-1 via the variation of methyl phenyl sulfone (PMSO2)formation at different ATZ concentrations. However, Fe(IV) contributed negligibly to ATZ degradation due to the strong scavenging of Fe(IV) by PMS. SO4•- and HO• were the reactive species responsible for ATZ degradation and the yield ratio of SO4•- and HO• was about 8.70 at initial stage. Preliminary thermodynamic calculation on the possible activation ways revealed that the dominant production of SO4•- might originate from the atomic H reduction of PMS in the surface layer of nZVI-Cu0. Ten products of ATZ degradation were identified by HPLC/ESI/QTOF and the possible degradation pathways were analyzed combined with theoretical calculation on ATZ structure. The decrease of temperature or increase of solution pH led to the decline of ATZ degradation, as well as the individual addition of common ions (HCO3-, Cl-, SO42-, NH4+, NO3- and F-) and natural organic matters (NOM). In real water, ATZ was still efficiently degraded with the decontamination efficiency decreasing in the sequence of tap water > surface water > simulated wastewater > groundwater. For the treatment of ATZ-polluted continuous flow, nZVI-Cu0 in double-layer layout had a higher capacity than the single-layer mode. Meanwhile, the leaching TFe and TCu were limited. The results indicate nZVI-Cu0/PMS is applicable and the multiple-layer layout of nZVI-Cu0 is suggested for ATZ-polluted ground water and soil remediation.

Fe-Cu bimetal metal-organic framework for efficient decontamination via Fenton-like process: Synthesis, performance and mechanism

Constructing Fe-Cu bimetal catalysts is an efficient strategy to promote Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle, whereas there is still a long way to go before fully understanding the role of the Cu in the catalysts. Herein, a new Fe-MOF namely BUC-96(Fe) was fabricated from FeSO₄·7H₂O, 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H₄dhtp) by both hydrothermal reaction and microwave-assisted method. Also, bimetal BUC-96(FeCu-x) were obtained when the CuSO₄ was added into the system identical to the synthesis process of BUC-96(Fe). Series BUC-96 MOFs showed good organics elimination performance via Fenton-like process, where 88.1% (k = 0.0672 min^-1) of chloroquine phosphate (CQ, 20 mg/L) was decomposed over pristine BUC-96(Fe) within 30 min. Interestingly, nearly 100% CQ was degraded over BUC-96(FeCu-5) as catalyst under the identical conditions within 5 min, whose reaction rate (1.3527 min^-1) was 20.1-fold higher than that of BUC-96. Additionally, BUC-96(FeCu-5) exhibited excellent Fenton-like oxidation degradation performance for 10 selected emerging organic pollutants. The reaction mechanism was studied in detail by experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results revealed that the introduced Cu not only accelerated Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycles, hydroxyl radical (·OH) generation, electron transfer, but also lowered H₂O₂ dissociated energy barrier. This work advanced the bimetal MOFs construction and application in wastewater treatment via Fenton-like process.

Atrazine decontamination by a newly screened psychrotroph Paenarthrobacter sp. KN0901 in an aquatic system: Metabolic pathway, kinetics, and hydroponics experiment

Atrazine residues running off the fields and entering water resources are a major threat to food security and the ecosystem. In this study, a psychrotrophic functional strain named KN0901 to remove atrazine residues was screened. KN0901 could degrade 30 mg·L^-1 atrazine in 4 days at 15ºC with 10⁵ CFU·mL^-1 incubation. The phylogenetic results showed KN0901 belonged to Paenarthrobacter sp. PCR results showed that the functional genes consist of trzN, atzB, and atzC, suggesting atrazine was transformed to cyanuric acid by KN0901. KN0901 could degrade atrazine without adding exogenous carbon and nitrogen sources. What's more, KN0901 could tolerate extreme low temperature (5ºC) and high atrazine concentration (100 mg·L^-1). When growth and degradation curves were compared, the results indicated the length of lag time showed significant correlation to atrazine degradation rate. The hydroponic experiments showed that the toxicity of atrazine was significantly reduced with KN0901 treatment. The study provided an effective, economic, and eco-friendly bioremediation measure to address atrazine contamination.

Enhanced photo-Fenton activity and stability for sulfamethoxazole degradation by FeS2@TiO2 heterojunction derived from MIL-125

FT-x composites with core-shell structure (FT = FeS₂@TiO₂, x represents the mass ratio of the used FeCl₃·6H₂O to MIL-125) were fabricated by a hydrothermal method using MIL-125(Ti) as a self-sacrificing template. Both the photo-Fenton activity and stability of the FT-1 were improved greatly in comparison with its counterparts due to the unique core-shell structure and synergistic effect between FeS₂ and TiO₂. Especially, the Fe leaching concentration of FT-1 was approximately 1/10 of the individual FeS₂, benefiting from the protection effect of TiO₂ shell. Under dark condition, the formed FeOOH occupied active sites and inhibited iron cycle as well as H₂O₂ decomposition, leading to the inactivation of FT-1. UV light irradiation not only boosted the catalytic activity but also prevented the FT-1 from reactivity decline owning to the regeneration of Fe²⁺ by photogenerated electrons and continuous generation of ·OH. Experimental and DFT calculation results indicated that a type-II heterojunction was formed, in which photogenerated electrons were transferred from FeS₂ core to TiO₂ shell, accelerating charge separation and further boosting sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. FT-1 displayed outstanding photo-Fenton activity in wide pH ranged from 2 to 6 and good anti-interfering ability toward impurities in water matrix. Besides, the reusability of FT-1 was good, in which 90% SMX degradation was maintained even after 5 runs. Noteworthy, the photo-Fenton activity was recovered via a revulcanization process, in which FeOOH was completely transformed into FeS₂. This founding provided insights for the design and construction of heterojunction with both excellent photo-Fenton activity and stability.

Bi3.64Mo0.36O6.55 nanoparticles anchored in BiOI: A p-n heterojunction photocatalyst to enhance water purification

Selective constructing of heterojunctions enables directional electron-hole migration and favorable charge separation. In this study, a novel p-n junction Bi_3.64Mo_0.36O_6.55 (BMO) nanoparticles anchored in BiOI construct by hydrothermal and subsequent in-situ synthesis. The construction of tight heterojunctions that enhance the characteristic absorption of visible light by Bi_3.64Mo_0.36O_6.55/BiOI (BIMO) and expose more reactive sites can be used to facilitate the rapid degradation of antibiotics (Tetracycline, TC), endocrine disruptors (Bisphenol A, BPA) and dyes in water. In addition, the BIMO catalyst maintained the rapid degradation rate of TC despite the interference of inorganic anions and aqueous substrates. The charge transfer pathways and radical species between the heterojunction components were investigated. In addition, the intermediates and toxicological analysis showed that TC was further mineralized and the small molecule products were generated significantly less toxic and less contaminated. In conclusion, this study synthesized photocatalysts based on p-n heterojunctions, which have potential applications for the degradation of TC.

Modulating photothermal properties by integration of fined Fe-Co in confined carbon layer of SiO2 nanosphere for pollutant degradation and solar water evaporation

Environmental governance by photothermal materials especially for the separation of organic pollutants and regeneration of freshwater afford growing attention owing to their special solar-to-heat properties. Here, we construct a special functional nanosphere composed of an internal silica core coated by a thin carbon layer encapsulated plasmonic bimetallic FeCo₂O₄ spinel (SiO₂@CoFe/C) by a facile self-assembled approach and tuned calcination. Through combining the advantage of bimetallic Fe-Co and carbon layer, this obtained nanosphere affords improved multiple environmental governing functions including peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade pollutants and photothermal interfacial solar water evaporation. Impressively, fined bimetal (FeCo) species (20 nm) acted as main catalytic substance were distributed on the N-doping carbon thin layer, which favors electron transfer and reactive accessibility of active metals. The increasing treatment temperature of catalysts caused the optimization of the surface active metal species and tuning catalytic properties in the AOPs. Besides, the incorporation of Co in the SiO₂@CoFe/C-700 could enable the improved PMS activation efficiency compared to SiO₂@Fe/C-700 and the mixed SiO₂@Co/C-700 and SiO₂@Fe/C-700, hinting a synergetic promotion effect. The bimetal coupled catalyst SiO₂@CoFe/C-700 affords enhanced photothermal properties compared to SiO₂@Co/C-700. Furthermore, photothermal catalytic PMS activation using optimal SiO₂@CoFe/C-700 was further explored in addressing stubborn pollutants including oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, 2, 4-dichlorophenol, and phenol. The free radical quenching control suggests that both the sulfate radical, hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical, and singlet oxygen species are involved in the degradation, while the hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen play a dominant role. Furthermore, the implementation of a solar-driven interfacial water evaporation model using SiO₂@CoFe/C-700 was further studied to obtain freshwater regeneration (1.26 kg m^-2 h^-1, 76.81% efficiency), indicating the comprehensive ability of the constructed nanocomposites for treating complicated environmental pollution including organics removal and freshwater regeneration.

Degradation of atrazine in river sediment by dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) combined with a persulfate (PS) oxidation system: response surface methodology, degradation mechanisms, and pathways

Single degradation systems based on dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) or persulfate (PS) oxidation cannot achieve the desired goals (high degradation efficiency, high mineralization rate, and low product toxicity) of degrading atrazine (ATZ) in river sediment. In this study, DBDP was combined with a PS oxidation system (DBDP/PS synergistic system) to degrade ATZ in river sediment. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) including five factors (discharge voltage, air flow, initial concentration, oxidizer dose, and activator dose) and three levels (- 1, 0, and 1) was established to test a mathematical model by response surface methodology (RSM). The results confirmed that the degradation efficiency of ATZ in river sediment was 96.5% in the DBDP/PS synergistic system after 10 min of degradation. The experimental total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency results indicated that 85.3% of ATZ is mineralized into CO₂, H₂O, and NH₄⁺, which effectively reduces the possible biological toxicity of the intermediate products. Active species (sulfate (SO₄•^-), hydroxy (•OH), and superoxide (•O₂^-) radicals) were found to exert positive effects in the DBDP/PS synergistic system and illustrated the degradation mechanism of ATZ. The ATZ degradation pathway, composed of 7 main intermediates, was clarified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This study indicates that the DBDP/PS synergistic system is a highly efficient, environmentally friendly, novel method for the remediation of river sediment containing ATZ pollution.