Catalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using surface nitrogen-rich activated carbon based on polyaniline

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped activated carbon has received considerable attention for its excellent performance in activating persulfate, and the relationship of nitrogen-containing functional groups to catalytic efficiency is of great significance in elucidating the catalytic mechanism. In this study, surface-enriched nitrogenous porous carbon was prepared by in situ synthesis and post-treatment methods. The experimental results showed that the nitrogen doped carbon material obtained by the in situ method has better catalytic activity and stability than that obtained by post-treatment, and the best catalyst 3.0PANI@AC900 showed 74.2% removal of TC after 60 min of reaction. The in situ N doping promoted the generation of N-g active sites on the surface of 3.0PANI@AC900. Mechanistic studies have shown that both free radical pathways (SO₄˙⁻, HO˙ and O₂˙⁻) and non-radical pathways (¹O₂) co-involve in the degradation of TC. This study provides a reference for the development of good activity and reusability of nitrogen-doped carbon for catalytic degradation of organic pollutants by persulfate.