Fenton-like degradation of bisphenol A by FeO rhombic dodecahedrons

• Published in: New journal of chemistry 2023-06, Vol.47 (22), p.1857-1865
• Main Authors: Zhu, Jinglin, Zhu, Meng, Peng, Juanjuan
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 1144-0546; 1369-9261
• DOI: 10.1039/d3nj01623d

Developing highly active Fenton-like materials for the decontamination of water is a hot topic. Nanosized Fe 3 O 4 particles are green catalysts for environmental remediation, but their application is limited by their low catalytic activity. Herein, Fe 3 O 4 rhombic dodecahedral nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -R) with exposed {110} facets were synthesized via the solvothermal method and used as a Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). Consequently, ∼100% of BPA was removed using Fe 3 O 4 -R/H 2 O 2 at pH = 5.0, which was higher than that by commercial Fe 3 O 4 . Multiple experiments confirmed the presence of abundant &z.tbd;Fe( ii ) active sites on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 -R, but they were unstable, resulting in the dissolution of &z.tbd;Fe( ii ) from the solid surface via oxidation, and thus the homogeneous reaction was not negligible in the Fe 3 O 4 -R/H 2 O 2 process. However, hydroxyl radicals (HO&z.rad;) were still the primary reactive species, playing a dominant role in the removal of BPA. Consequently, the degradation of BPA was easily disturbed by HCO 3 − and natural organic matter (NOM). Unfortunately, the inactivation of Fe 3 O 4 -R was observed in cycle experiments, which is ascribed to the stabilization of the surface of Fe 3 O 4 -R during the oxidation process, reducing the surface active sites of &z.tbd;Fe( ii ). Therefore, this study provides new insight into the Fenton-like oxidation process for the degradation of pollutants by regulating the morphology of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Fe 3 O 4 rhombic dodecahedral nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -R) with exposed {110} facets were synthesized via the solvothermal method and used as Fenton-like catalysts for the degradation of bisphenol A.