MgFe2O4/PU composite sponges with opposite wettability for oil removal and PMS-assisted degradation of organic pollutants

Composite sponges with opposite wettability were successfully prepared. • ODA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU can effectively absorb oil. • TA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU can effectively activate PMS to degrade organic pollutants. • The degradation pathway was proposed by DFT calculation and LC-MS analysis. Dissolved organic pollutants and oils are prevalent wastewater contaminants, and developing efficient remediation technologies remains a research hotspot. Herein, magnesium ferrite (MgFe 2 O 4 ) was synthesized via coprecipitation and immobilized on polyurethane (PU) sponges, followed by hydrophobic octadecylamine (ODA) and hydrophilic tannic acid (TA) modification to fabricate ODA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU and TA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU composite sponges. Hydrophobic ODA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU showed excellent oil absorption capacity of 26.8–50.3 g/g for various oils and stable hydrophobicity under complex water conditions. By contrast, hydrophilic TA-MgFe 2 O 4 -PU activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to efficiently degrade Rhodamine B and other pollutants with removal efficiencies of 64.5%–95%, displaying good environmental adaptability and reusability. The RhB degradation mechanism and pathway were clarified via quenching experiments, electrochemical tests, spectral characterization, functional theory calculations and mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, ECOSAR prediction and Vigna radiata germination tests verified the effective detoxification of degraded RhB. Download: Download high-res image (151KB) Download: Download full-size image