Heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate for bisphenol A degradation using CoFe2O4 derived by hybrid cobalt-ion hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles

A facile coprecipitation-thermal method is reported to prepare spinel cobalt ferrites CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) with a well-defined mesoporous dominated structure using hybrid cobalt-ion hexacyanoferrate (CoFeHCF) NPs as a template. The properties of the synthesized catalysts are evidenced by various characterization methods. And the effects of time, pH, catalyst/oxidant/BPA dosage, coexisting ions and natural organic matter (NOM) on catalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) are investigated. The as-prepared CoFe 2 O 4 shows a high catalytic performance of 97% elimination for 45 μM BPA in 40 min. The excellent catalytic performance could be attributed to the large specific surface area (66.18 m 2 /g) and high content of cobalt (the atomic ratio of Fe/Co is 1.86) of CoFe 2 O 4 NPs. Slightly alkaline pH, higher catalyst dosage and anions including Cl − and CO 3 2− /HCO 3 − are favorable for BPA degradation. Especially, 81.57% mineralization of BPA could be achieved in 60 min under the optimization system. The catalytic capacity of CoFe 2 O 4 could be regenerated by simple washing and drying at 200℃, which is much lower than the crystal temperature. SO 4 ∙ − and HO∙ are the primary reactive species responsible for BPA oxidation while SO 4 ∙ − might play a dominant role. This work provides a novel method to produce CoFe 2 O 4 nanocatalysts for contaminant degradation and encourage the extended application of CoFeHCF in the environment.