Degradation of 4-chlorophenol by BM Fe/Cu-O2 system: The symbiosis of and ·OH radicals

In this study, Fe/Cu bimetal composite was prepared by high-energy ball milling (BM) method for the removal of refractory organics. The BM Fe/Cu bimetal was characterized by SEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS. Evenly distributed Fe and Cu was observed in the EDS mapping. In contrasting experiments, the removal rate of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) by BM Fe/Cu materials was about 10-fold faster than that by chemical substitution deposition (CSD) of Fe/Cu material. Complete 4-CP removal and 66.7% of total organic carbon (TOC) mineralization in the BM Fe/Cu–O 2 system were achieved. Dissolved oxygen plays a crucial role for 4-CP degradation through the in situ generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H 2 O 2 , ·OH, and via oxygen activation reactions. The predominant reactive radicals were identified to be and ·OH through ESR technique and inhibition experiments. The coexistence of oxidation and reduction of 4-CP in the BM Fe/Cu-O 2 system was proposed. Practitioner points 4-CP removal rate by BM Fe/Cu is 10-fold faster than that by CSD Fe/Cu at the same conditions. Complete 4-CP removal and 66.7% of TOC reduction were achieved. All three ROS including ·OH, , and H 2 O 2 coexisted in the BM Fe/Cu-O 2 system. A harmonious coexistence of oxidation and reduction mechanism was proposed.