Single atom Co-anchored nitrogen‑doped graphene for peroxymonosulfate activation with high selectivity of singlet oxygen generation

Singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) is an excellent active species generated in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that exhibits high selectivity, long life and wide pH tolerance. Therefore, catalysts for highly efficient and selective generation of 1 O 2 in AOPs would be highly desirable. This study developed a single atom Co-anchored nitrogen‑doped graphene (Co SAC -NG), which showed excellent catalytic performance for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and bisphenol A degradation, with the pseudofirst-order reaction rate constant improved from 8.13 × 10 −4 min −1 without catalyst to 4.42 × 10 −2 min −1 with 5 mg L −1 Co SAC -NG. Mechanism studies indicated that Co SAC -NG selectively enhanced 1 O 2 generation, which was the dominant active specie for pollutant degradation. Moreover, the Co SAC -NG/PMS system effectively reduced the acute toxicity of pollutant, and Co SAC -NG exhibited remarkable cycling stability and negligible leaching. This study develops a new catalyst with high selectivity for 1 O 2 generation and provides a reference for application of single atom catalyst in PMS-based AOPs.