Se/N Co-doped carbon for boosted organic oxidation via periodate activation: Impact of electronic structure reconstruction

Herein, seleniSum and nitrogen (Se/N) co-doped carbon catalysts were prepared to improve the catalytic performance and degradation selectivity of periodate based advanced oxidation processes (PI-AOPs) for pollutant abatement. The additional Se/N doping in carbon resulted in a 183 % increase in the degradation efficiency of bisphenol A (BPA) compared to the exclusively N-doped carbon catalyst. The coupling effect of the dual dopants significantly enhanced the electron transfer process. DFT calculations revealed that the co-doping of Se and N induced electron rearrangement in the carbon lattice while simultaneously enhancing the adsorption energy for PI. Moreover, the dual-doping strategy narrowed the energy gap between the LUMO of the [SeNC-PI] complex and the HOMO of BPA, thereby offering an excellent electronic channel for facilitating the electron transfer process. Driven by the potential difference, selective degradation of different pollutants was dependent on the half-wave potential of organic compounds. Benefiting from the non-radical oxidation pathway, the SeNC800/PI system showed great resistance to interference from pH, coexisting ions and dissolved organic matter. This work provides a strategy for improving the oxidation performance and pathway selectivity of pollutants in PI-AOPs.