An insightful analysis of dimethyl phthalate degradation by the collaborative process of DBD plasma and Graphene-WO3 nanocomposites

The Degradation of Aqueous Oxytetracycline by an O3/CaO2 System in the Presence of HCO3-: Performance, Mechanism, Degradation Pathways, and Toxicity Evaluation

This research constructed a novel O3/CaO2/HCO3- system to degrade antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) in water. The results indicated that CaO2 and HCO3- addition could promote OTC degradation in an O3 system. There is an optimal dosage of CaO2 (0.05 g/L) and HCO3- (2.25 mmol/L) that promotes OTC degradation. After 30 min of treatment, approximately 91.5% of the OTC molecules were eliminated in the O3/CaO2/HCO3- system. A higher O3 concentration, alkaline condition, and lower OTC concentration were conducive to OTC decomposition. Active substances including ·OH, 1O2, ·O2-, and ·HCO3- play certain roles in OTC degradation. The production of ·OH followed the order: O3/CaO2/HCO3- > O3/CaO2 > O3. Compared to the sole O3 system, TOC and COD were easier to remove in the O3/CaO2/HCO3- system. Based on DFT and LC-MS, active species dominant in the degradation pathways of OTC were proposed. Then, an evaluation of the toxic changes in intermediates during OTC degradation was carried out. The feasibility of O3/CaO2/HCO3- for the treatment of other substances, such as bisphenol A, tetracycline, and actual wastewater, was investigated. Finally, the energy efficiency of the O3/CaO2/HCO3- system was calculated and compared with other mainstream processes of OTC degradation. The O3/CaO2/HCO3- system may be considered as an efficient and economical approach for antibiotic destruction.

ZnCo2O4 composite catalyst accelerated removal of phenylic contaminants containing of Cr(VI) in dielectric barrier discharge reactor: Process and mechanism study

The degradation of phenylic contaminants (phenol, hydroquinone, nitrobenzene, p-nitrophenol) containing Cr(VI) has been investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system using a ZnCo₂O₄ composite catalyst. The ZnCo₂O₄ nanowires combined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on a sponge substrate in the discharge system can induce a decrease in the corona inception voltage and discharge becomes more stable resulting in an improvement in the energy utilization efficiency. With the synergistic degradation of phenylic species containing Cr(VI), the total elimination efficiency was further improved. The active substances (H₂O₂ and O₃) were detected in the discharged solution, and some of them were consumed in the phenylic system. The effects of ·OH, O₂·^- and e^- were also verified using free radical trapping experiments in which ·OH exhibited the main oxidation effect for the degradation of phenylic pollutants, and e^-, H₂O₂ and H· affect the reduction of Cr(VI). The intermediate products were determined in order to analyze the degradation process of phenylic pollutants by the ZnCo₂O₄ composite catalyst in combination with the DBD system. The electron transfer process in the ZnCo₂O₄ composite catalyst during discharge was analyzed. Finally, the biotoxicity of the phenylic pollutants before and after degradation was compared.

Electrospinning of ZIF-67 Derived Co-C-N Composite Efficiently Activating Peroxymonosulfate to Degrade Dimethyl Phthalate

In this work, an efficient cage-core peroxymonosulfate (PMS) catalyst was synthesized by applying an electrospinning–calcination process to the cobalt–zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF-67) crystals for the catalytic degradation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP). The morphology and surface properties of the synthesized materials (ZIF-67, Z600 and ZP400/600/800) were well characterized. ZP600 showed great performance for the catalytic degradation of DMP in the initial pH range of 7.5–10.5. The removal rate of DMP could reach 90.4% in 60 min under optimum dosages of reagents (catalyst = 0.1 g/L, PMS = 0.5 mM, DMP = 6 ppm), and the mineralization degree of contaminant could reach 65%. By quenching experiments, it was determined that sulfate radical (SO4−·) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) dominated the degradation process. Moreover, due to the good magnetism, ZP600 could be easily separated from liquid and showed great reusability in five-cycle reaction experiments. Surprisingly, with the cover of cage-like polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, the cobalt leaching amount of ZP600 decreased by about 87%. This study would expand the application of the electrospinning process in the development of functional materials for water purification.