Publication

Advanced Redox Technology Lab

Journal papers

Visible light-induced activation of peroxymonosulfate in the presence of ferric ions for the degradation of organic pollutants
Author
N. Hasan, S. Kim, M. S. Kim, N. T. T. Nguyen, C. Lee, J. Kim*
Journal
Sep. Purif. Technol.
Issue / Vol
240
Date
2020.06.01.
Year
2020

A new method for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) using ferric ions (Fe3+) and visible light (λ > 420 nm) was developed and investigated as a water treatment method for the degradation of various organic pollutants. Complete degradation of 100 μM of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) was achieved after 60 min in the presence of PMS (1 mM) and Fe3+ (1 mM) under visible-light irradiation. However, the degradation of 4-CP was negligible or minor in the absence of either PMS, Fe3+, or visible-light irradiation. The visible-light absorption of Fe3+ was enhanced through complexation with PMS (HSO5−−Fe(OH)2+), although PMS itself does not absorb visible light. Inner-sphere electron transfer in the HSO5−−Fe(OH)2+ complex under visible light generated sulfate (SO4 radical dot−) and hydroxyl radicals (radical dotOH). The production of SO4 radical dot− and radical dotOH in the PMS/Fe3+/visible light system was verified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The degradation of 4-CP was significantly reduced with isopropyl alcohol (as a scavenger for both radical dotOH and SO4 radical dot−), but only slightly reduced with tert-butyl alcohol (as a radical dotOH scavenger). This behavior suggests that SO4radical dot− acts as a primary oxidant in the PMS/Fe3+/visible light system. The PMS/Fe3+/visible light system efficiently degraded a wide spectrum of organic pollutants (e.g., 4-CP, bisphenol A, 2,4-dimethylphenol, furfuryl alcohol, sulfamethoxazole, tryptophan, and sulfanilamide). In addition, the degradation efficiency of the PMS/Fe3+/visible light system remained constant over multiple cycles with the intermittent addition of PMS only.


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