Mesoporous carbon framework supported Cu-Fe oxides as efficient peroxymonosulfate catalyst for sustained water remediation

Large-scale green synthesis of high-performance catalysts is desirable for practical application of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) based advanced oxidation process. In this study, mesoporous carbon framework supported Cu-Fe oxides (CuO/CuFe₂O₄) was synthesized via calcination of cost-effective metal-plant phenolic networks for PMS activation to degrade organic pollutants. The mesoporous carbon framework enables highly spatial dispersion of nanosized Cu-Fe oxides, enhanced adsorption of organic pollutant (Bisphenol A, BPA) and improved electron transfer efficiency. Benefiting from the advantageous structure, the mesoporous carbon framework supported Cu-Fe oxides manifested excellent catalytic efficiency in PMS activation, enabling fast and sustained removal of BPA in simulated and actual contaminated water at neutral pH. Chemical scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) including SO₄^•−, OH^• and ¹O₂ all participated in the degradation of BPA. The kinetic study and in situ characterization with ATR-FTIR indicated that PMS was activated by surface Cu(II) through an outer-sphere interaction, and a redox cycle of Cu(II)-Cu(I)-Cu(II) was responsible for the generation of ROS. This work demonstrates a reliable method for rational design of hybrid catalyst of metal oxide and carbon material for efficient wastewater remediation.