Chitosan bimetallic particles with in-situ ROS driven self-cleaning performance for tetracycline elimination

Adsorption enrichment coupled with oxidative degradation is a promising technique for eliminating tetracycline (TC) from an aqueous environment . However, the high cost associated with this technique limits its applicability. Thus, in this study, we synthesized Cu 2 O and CuFe 2 O 4 bimetallic-modified chitosan particles (Cu(I)–CuFe 2 O 4 @CS) with high adsorption efficiency and self-cleaning performance. The self-cleaning performance was driven by the in-situ generated reactive oxygen species (ROS). Batch experiments and characterization methods indicated that 97.39% of TC was rapidly adsorbed on the particles surface and subsequently degraded by in-situ generated ROS, to achieve a self-cleaning process. The Cu(I)–CuFe 2 O 4 @CS/TC system exhibited maximum O 2 • - and H 2 O 2 concentration of 12.95 μmol/L and 42.05 μmol/L, respectively. Cu 2 O was the main source of the ROS generation, while CuFe 2 O 4 effectively adsorbed TC and contributed to the synergistic accumulation of ROS. Moreover, the adsorbed TC with reductive functional properties facilitated the reduction of Fe(III)/Fe(II) and Cu(II)/Cu(I) cycles, thereby improving TC elimination efficiency.