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Confined Co@NCNTs as highly efficient catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate: free radical and non-radical co-catalytic mechanisms

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Abstract

A series of transition metal (Co, Ni, Fe) nanoparticles were confined in N-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) prepared (Co@NCNTs, Ni@NCNTs, and Fe@NCNTs) by the polymerization method. The structure and composition of catalysts were well characterized. The catalytic activity of catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was conducted via acid orange 7 (AO7) degradation. Among the catalysts, Co@NCNTs performed the best catalytic activity. Additionally, Co@NCNTs performed good catalytic activity in pH values of 2.39–10.98. Cl and SO42- played a promoting roles in AO7 degradation. NO3 presented a weak effect on the catalytic performance of Co@NCNTs, while HCO3 and CO32− significantly suppressed the catalytic performance of Co@NCNTs. Both non-radical (1O2 and electron transfer) and free-radical (·OH and SO4·−) pathways were detected in the Co@NCNTs/PMS system. Notably, 1O2 was identified to be the main active specie in this study. The catalytic activity of Co@NCNTs gradually decreased after cycle reuse of Co@NCNTs. Finally, the toxicity of the AO7 degradation solution in the study was evaluated by Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 42207301).

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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Yuan Wang, Wenyue Yu, and Xiudan He. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Rongfa Zhang and Jifei Hou. The resources, supervision, writing—review, and editing were performed by Xuede Li. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Wang, Y., Yu, W., Zhang, R. et al. Confined Co@NCNTs as highly efficient catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate: free radical and non-radical co-catalytic mechanisms. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 20149–20158 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32416-9

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