Preparation of Activated Carbon-Reinforced Composite Beads Based on MnO 2 /MCM-41@Fe 3 O 4 and Calcium Alginate for Efficient Removal of Tetracycline in Aqueous Solutions

• Published in: Polymers 2024-04, Vol.16 (8)
• Main Authors: Zheng, Zhigong, Shi, Ronghui, Zhang, Xiaoping, Ni, Yonghao, Zhang, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2073-4360

Tetracycline (TC) is a common antibiotic; when untreated TC enters the environment, it will cause a negative impact on the human body through the food chain. In the present study, MnO /MCM-41@Fe O (FeMnMCM) prepared using a hydrothermal and redox method and shell-activated carbon (COFAC) prepared through alkali activation were encapsulated using alginate (ALG) and calcium chloride as a cross-linking matrix to give the composite beads COFAC-FeMnMCM-ALG. The resultant COFAC-FeMnMCM-ALG composite beads were then carefully characterized, showing a high immobilization of MnO /MCM-41@Fe O , with porous COFAC as an effective bioadsorbent for enriching the pollutants in the treated samples. These bead catalysts were subsequently applied to the oxidative degradation of TC in a Fenton oxidation system. Several parameters affecting the degradation were investigated, including the H O concentration, catalyst dosage, initial TC concentration, and temperature. A very high catalytic activity towards the degradation of TC was demonstrated. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching results showed that ·OH and ·O were generated in the system, with ·OH as the main radical species. In addition, the COFAC-FeMnMCM-ALG catalyst exhibited excellent recyclability/reusability. We conclude that the as-prepared COFAC-FeMnMCM-ALG composite beads, which integrate MnO and Fe O with bioadsorbents, provide a new idea for the design of catalysts for advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and have great potential in the Fenton oxidation system to degrade toxic pollutants.