Multimetallic CuCoNi Oxide Nanowires In Situ Grown on a Nickel Foam Substrate Catalyze Persulfate Activation via Mediating Electron Transfer

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 56; no. 17; pp. 12613 - 12624
• Main Authors: Wang, Mei-Mei, Liu, Li-Juan, Wen, Jia-Tai, Ding, Ying, Xi, Jia-Rui, Li, Jia-Cheng, Lu, Fang-Zheng, Wang, Wei-Kang, Xu, Juan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society 06.09.2022
• Subjects: Bisphenol A; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Electron transfer; Electrons; Environmental degradation; Fabrication; Humic acids; Ionic strength; Metal foams; Nanotechnology; Nanowires; Nickel; Organic carbon; Packaging; Pollutants; Substrates; Total organic carbon; Treatment and Resource Recovery; Wastewater treatment; nonradical oxidation; persulfate activation; electron transfer; metallic oxides; nickel foam
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c04312

In situ growth of nanostructures on substrates is a strategy for designing highly efficient catalytic materials. Herein, multimetallic CuCoNi oxide nanowires are synthesized in situ on a three-dimensional nickel foam (NF) substrate (CuCoNi–NF) by a hydrothermal method and applied to peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation as immobilized catalysts. The catalytic performance of CuCoNi–NF is evaluated through the degradation of organic pollutants such as bisphenol A (BPA) and practical wastewater. The results indicate that the NF not only plays an important role as the substrate support but also serves as an internal Ni source for material fabrication. CuCoNi–NF exhibits high activity and stability during PDS activation as it mediates electron transfer from BPA to PDS. CuCoNi–NF first donates electrons to PDS to arrive at an oxidized state and subsequently deprives electrons from BPA to return to the initial state. CuCoNi–NF maintains high catalytic activity in the pH range of 5.2–9.2, adapts to a high ionic strength up to 100 mM, and resists background HCO3 – and humic acid. Meanwhile, 76.6% of the total organic carbon can be removed from packaging wastewater by CuCoNi–NF-catalyzed PDS activation. This immobilized catalyst shows promising potential in wastewater treatment, well addressing the separation and recovery of conventional powdered catalysts.