Magnetic porous carbon materials as efficient catalysts for activation of persulfate for 2, 4-DCP degradation: properties, mechanisms and degradation pathways

The widespread use of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) in the paper manufacturing, dye synthesis, textile processing, and agriculture applications has led to its persistent accumulation in the ecosystems, posing significant risks to environmental safety and human health. This study developed a MIL-101(Fe)-derived porous carbon material for efficient degradation of 2, 4-DCP through potassium persulfate (PDS)-based advanced oxidation processes. Characterization demonstrated that the synthesized material, compared with its MIL-101(Fe) precursor, possessed enhanced specific surface area and pore size distribution, which could synergistically promote both adsorption and catalytic degradation of 2, 4-DCP. The optimized 700Fe-C/PDS system (0.3 g/L catalyst, 0.5 mM oxidant) achieved 95.99 % degradation rate for 50 mg/L 2, 4-DCP within 90 min, showing rapid degradation ability. Notably, the material maintained >94.34 % degradation efficiency for 2, 4-DCP after five times of reuse without requiring pH adjustment, highlighting exceptional stability and practical applicability. Reactive oxygen species quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis elucidated that both radical and non-radical pathways contributed to the degradation process, with 1 O 2 playing a dominant role in the system. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrated remarkable generalizability, eco-friendliness and effectively degradation for 2, 4-DCP in real municipal wastewater effluent and other organic pollutants including tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, acetamiprid, and sulfamethoxazole. This work provides an efficient, stable, and easily recyclable catalytic material, offering a new strategy for addressing diverse organic contaminants in complex water matrices.