Effective activation of peroxymonosulfate to degrade p-nitrophenol (PNP) by Co–B–O–C amorphous materials prepared from 150 to 600 °C and room temperature Co–B–O–C solution catalysts

Abstract

Much attention has been paid to the catalytic performance of cobalt-based nanocrystalline catalysts toward advanced oxidation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) and other organic matters. However, the application of amorphous Co-based catalysts is rare. In this study, we show that both amorphous Co–B–O–C materials prepared in the temperature range of 150–600 °C and Co–B–O–C room temperature solution are effective catalysts in activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of PNP in water. The results of radical quenching experiments confirmed that the main reactive oxygen species during the advanced oxidation reaction of PNP was O₂˙⁻. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis results showed strong signals of ¹O₂, which was believed to be transformed from O₂˙⁻. The amorphous Co–B–O–C sample could degrade 91.2% of PNP in 1 min after recycling the sample five times. Co–B–O–C also had good catalytic performance for the degradation of 2-nitrophenol. Our results provide new insight into the design of cobalt-based catalysts for degrading organic pollutants in water.