Fe3C@Fe decorated carbonized wood Fiber catalyst for organic dyes degradation: Preparation, characterization and mechanism

The extensive use of organic dyes has led to significant water pollution. Using lignocellulosic waste as a precursor for catalysts preparation for sewage remediation presents an effective alternative with numerous advantages in sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental compatibility. In this work, wood fiber waste collected from wood processing plants was decorated with Prussian blue (PB) and then annealed to produce carbonized wood fiber catalyst (Fe 3 C@Fe-CB). In the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), the prepared catalyst could achieve over 98.69 % efficiency in degrading methylene blue (MB) solutions (20 mg/L) in 60 min across a pH range of 3 to 11. Electrochemical test and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis respectively verified that electron transfer pathway and radical pathway were the key factors for the degradation of MB. Cyclic degradation tests demonstrated that the degradation efficiency remained above 93.67 % after five recycling experiments. Moreover, the used magnetic catalyst can be easily recycled by magnet. This study proposed a facile and sustainable carbonized wood fiber catalyst decorated by Fe 3 C@Fe-CB, which could realize efficient elimination of organic dyes. Moreover, we offered a novel choice for dyes-polluted water treatment and paving a new route for converting low-value lignocellulosic waste to high-value utilizations.