Iron-copper bimetallic metal-organic frameworks for efficient Fenton-like degradation of sulfamethoxazole under mild conditions

Iron and copper bimetallic MOF material (Fe x Cu 1-x (BDC)) as a novel Fenton-like catalyst was prepared by a simple solvothermal method, and its performances were evaluated in the catalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The results indicated that the Fe x Cu 1-x (BDC)/H 2 O 2 system was highly effective for SMX degradation over a wide pH range (4.0–8.6). At initial solution pH of 5.6, the bimetallic Fe 0.75 Cu 0.25 (BDC) catalyst exhibited a 100% SMX (20 mg L −1 ) removal within 120 min, which was superior to the SMX removal efficiency over monometallic Fe(BDC) and Cu(BDC) catalysts. Combined with the physical-chemical characterization, the synergistic effect between Fe and Cu species were responsible for the efficient catalytic activity . Moreover, the Fe 0.75 Cu 0.25 (BDC) catalyst showed good reusability for SMX degradation. The possible reaction mechanism in Fe x Cu 1-x (BDC)/H 2 O 2 system was also tentatively proposed. This work has not only suggested the potential of bimetallic Fe x Cu 1-x (BDC) catalysts in Fenton-like treatment of antibiotics, but also provided useful information to develop MOF-based catalysts for efficient environmental remediation.