Convenient synthesis and engineering of ultrafine Co3O4-incorporated carbon composite: towards practical application of environmental remediation

The facile synthesis and engineering of highly active catalysts is an urgent requirement for the practical application of environmental remediation. In this report, we demonstrate the convenient synthesis of Co3O4-incorporated carbon composite (Co3O4/CC) by pyrolysis of a cobalt complex modified cotton cloth, which can be extended to other cellulose products (cotton, filter paper). Benefitting from the ultrafine Co3O4 particles with a mean particle size of ∼7.4 nm, the Co3O4/CC catalyst exhibits excellent performance for biphenol A (BPA) removal based on the sulfate radical (SO4˙−) process. Notably, as a proof-of-concept application, the Co3O4/CC packed column as a microreactor was designed and used in the continuous-flow reaction. Leveraging on the long half-life time period and high oxidability of SO4˙−, the degradation rate of BPA could increase above 95% at a flow rate of 2 mL min−1 when the total BPA solution reached to 1400 mL. The convenient synthesis of a high-performance catalyst and its efficient application to a continuous-flow reaction represent a further step towards practical application of SO4˙− based advanced oxidation processes.