Study on the synthesis and characterization of CoTiO3 catalysts and their catalytic properties in Oxone activation for the degradation of tetracycline antibiotic in water

The chemical degradation of sulfate by activated Oxyone has the advantages of high degradation capacity, wide pH range and convenient transportation and storage, making it one of the most attractive advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Besides, Co is the metal most capable of activating Oxone to produce sulfate. Therefore, it is critical to develop Co-based catalyst, an effective and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst, for activating Oxone to degrade tetracycline. In this study, CoTiO3 was extensively investigated for the activation of Oxone to generate sulfate radicals and degrade tetracycline antibiotics. The results showed that more than 95% of tetracyclines could be degraded at the amount of CoTiO3 catalyst of 0.02 g, the Oxone reagent concentration of 0.4 mmol l−1, and the pH value of 7. The removal rate of tetracyclines could still reach more than 85% after the CoTiO3 composite was repeatedly used for four consecutive cycles. These results indicate that CoTiO3/Oxone can be explored as an effective system for degrading long-lived organic pollutants.