Preparation of bifunctional hollow mesoporous Fe0@C@MnFe2O4 as Fenton-like catalyst for degradation of Tetrabromobisphenol A

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) loaded magnetic hollow mesoporous bimetallic Fenton-like catalyst, Fe 0 @C@MnFe 2 O 4 , was prepared by a one-pot solvothermal method. Carbon shell of polydopamine (PDA) was formed through self-oxidation of dopamine by adding MnFe 2 O 4 hollow spheres into dopamine solutions. Then Fe 2+ ions were adsorbed on the surface of PDA@MnFe 2 O 4 to obtain active nZVI in-situ through subsequent calcinations. Thus, the mesoporous carbon shell of Fe 0 @C@MnFe 2 O 4 had a great contribution to high adsorption capacity for concentrating TBBPA around the catalyst. The high concentration of TBBPA outside would further facilitate the transportation to the inside of the hollow catalyst to achieve a high catalytic efficiency. Fe 0 @C@MnFe 2 O 4 , as an integrated adsorbent-catalyst, was used to remove Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in aqueous solution with the presence of H 2 O 2 and NH 2 OH. Over 90% of TBBPA can be removed within 120 min. According to the result of ESI–MS, β -scission and debromination were involved in the degradation of TBBPA. The reused catalyst could be easily separated by using an external magnetic field in seconds. After ten cycles, the catalyst was still of good activity. The excellent removal efficiency of TBBPA might be attributed to the synergistic effect from high adsorption capacity and efficient Fenton-like catalytic reaction of Fe 0 @C@MnFe 2 O 4 .