Carbon nanotube-coated cobalt-iron spinel ceramic membrane activated peroxymonosulfate for the removal of florfenicol based on singlet oxygen catalysis

Antibiotic resistance proliferation has underscored the urgent need for advanced strategies to treat antibiotic-containing wastewater. This study developed a novel CoFe 2 O 4 -encapsulated carbon nanotube composite (CoFe 2 O 4 @CNT) via a modified impregnation–sintering method for the efficient activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to antibiotic degradation. The CoFe 2 O 4 @CNT/PMS system achieved 95.3% degradation of florfenicol (FLO) within 30 min under optimal operational conditions (pH 7, 5% metal loading, 0.5 mM PMS, 87.5 mg/L catalyst). Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy identified hydroxyl radicals (•OH), sulfate radicals (SO 4 •− ), superoxide anions (O 2 •− ), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) as the primary reactive species responsible for FLO degradation. To enable continuous-flow operation, the catalyst was further immobilized onto a ceramic membrane (designated as CF@CNTCM) via vacuum filtration. The CF@CNTCM/PMS system demonstrated maintained high FLO removal efficiency with negligible cobalt leaching, significantly surpassing conventional cobalt-based catalysts. Furthermore, the system exhibited robust performance in real water matrices, including river water and aquaculture wastewater, effectively reducing chemical oxygen demand and dissolved organic matter. This work presents a sustainable and highly efficient strategy for antibiotic degradation through catalytic ceramic membrane technology, with substantial potential for practical applications in water treatment.