One-step microwave assisted synthesis of bimetallic Cu/Mn organic composite catalyst from waste PET and application for organic pollutant removal with 1O2

With the growing severity of environmental pollution, the treatment of organic wastewater and waste plastic bottles has become global concerns. This study explored the feasibility of synthesizing metal-organic composite catalysts using waste PET plastic by a microwave one-step synthesis process with only 4 h. Comprehensive characterizations confirmed that the bimetallic Cu/Mn-PET catalyst outperformed monometallic counterparts and pure BDC-derived catalysts, featuring a more regular polyhedral morphology, good crystallinity and excellent stability. XPS valence state analysis uncovered pronounced synergistic interactions between Cu and Mn. Notably, despite a relatively low specific surface area (11.75 m 2 /g), Cu/Mn-PET featured the highest active site density and exhibited minimal interfacial charge transfer resistance in electrochemical measurements. When combined with PMS-AOPs technology, Cu/Mn-PET achieved nearly 100% degradation efficiency for various pollutants (dyes, antibiotics, phenolic compounds) under optimized conditions, accompanied by substantial mineralization (TOC removal rates above 56.36%). Additionally, the Cu/Mn-PET catalyst also showed strong recyclability with low metal leaching concentrations, as well as good salt tolerance. Furthermore, it was proved that the catalytic mechanism of Cu/Mn-PET involved the combined action of free radical reactions and non-free radical reactions, but the non-free radical based 1 O 2 played a dominant role. Thus, a green and efficient PET microwave one-step conversion technology has been developed to prepare a bimetallic organic composite catalyst with high catalytic activity and stability successfully, which hold significant implications for environmental protection and resource utilization.