The CuBi2O4 was synthesized by hydrothermal method for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) and other emerging organic chemicals. The surface and structural properties of as-prepared CuBi2O4 were determined by XRD, BET, XPS, AES, SEM and EDX. It was found that the morphology of CuBi2O4 changed from disordered clusters to tight microspheres with the increasing concentration of precursor salt or the dose of sodium hydroxide. The above synthesis condition also influenced the density of surface hydroxyl group. As-prepared CuBi2O4 here efficiently activated PMS to degrade RhB within a wide pH range, which was an absolute heterogeneous process. The emerging organic chemicals, including bisphenol A, 1H-Benzotriazole and carbamazepine, could be effectively removed in CuBi2O4/PMS. The recycling experiment showed that about 80% of RhB was degraded after five recycling runs. Based on the quenching experimental results, sulfate radical and hydroxyl radical were major reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CuBi2O4/PMS, the latter showed a stronger contribution. An inward electron transfer cycling reaction between Cu2+/Cu+ and Bi3+/Bi5+ facilitated the effective activation of PMS to generate ROS. In addition, the significant variations of morphology and surface hydroxyl group of CuBi2O4 influenced the catalytic activity on PMS activation, which showed that the spherical CuBi2O4 with higher density of surface hydroxyl group exhibited better catalytic activity in RhB degradation than scattered cluster. Therefore, a novel conclusion was drawn that the ability of as-prepared CuBi2O4 to activate PMS is related to its morphology and surface hydroxyl group, which has not been reported before. Intermediates generated from RhB degradation was identified, based on which the degradation pathway of RhB was proposed. All results above indicated that as-prepared CuBi2O4 were available to serve as promising materials for environmental remediation by activation PMS.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate for rhodamine B degradation by a morphology derived CuBi2O4: Intersurface reaction and degradation mechanism

254th National Meeting (2017)

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