Novel Pyrolusite-Templated Biochar as an Outstanding Catalyst for Persulfate Activation: Structural Design, Synergistic Effect, and Mechanism

Abstract

The design of a high-efficiency and ecofriendly persulfate (PS) activator with low cost and superior performance in water decontamination still remains a big challenge. Herein, we report a facile strategy for the synthesis of novel pyrolusite-templated mesoporous catalyst (PMC), and used it as a green PS activator for the outstanding removal of bisphenol A (BPA) in water. The N2 adsorption–desorption curves and SEM-EDS images show that pyrolusite templating can successfully modulate the mesoporous structure of the catalyst; the XRD and XPS spectra indicate that pyrolusite templating renders the catalyst with enriched active sites and faster electron transfer. The mechanism studies suggest that both the radical and nonradical pathway [singlet oxygen (1O2)] contributed to BPA degradation, and 86.81% of the total organic carbon (TOC) of 100 mg/L BPA was removed using merely 0.4 g/L PMC, without detectable metal ion leaching. This work provides a new strategy for the structural design and property adjustment of an efficient persulfate catalyst for green environmental remediation.