Contact-Electro-Catalysis for Bisphenol A Degradation Using Pristine Fluorinated Graphite

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common endocrine-disrupting compound that poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health due to its persistence and bioactivity. Herein, an efficient contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) system was developed using commercial fluorinated graphite ((CFx)n) for BPA degradation under ultrasonic activation. The (CFx)n/US system achieved a degradation efficiency of up to 98.21% for BPA within 180 min, with a mineralization efficiency of 52.66%. This system demonstrated excellent recyclability and stability, maintaining a degradation efficiency of 94.54% after five cycles.Additionally, it exhibited well universality degradation performance for several typical phenolic compounds. The experiments indicated that hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide radicals (•O2⁻), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O2) were involved in the reactive process and contributed to BPA degradation. LC-MS analysis identifies the key intermediates and the potential degradation pathways of BPA by (CFx)n catalyst in the CEC process. This work highlights the potential of inorganic fluorinated materials as reliable CEC catalysts and provides a green, economically effective, and environmentally friendly method for removing various organic pollutants from water.