degradation

fe ii

pms activation

peroxymonosulfate pms

degradation efficiency

Applied catalysis. B, Environmental

In this work, a cost-effective and eco-friendly calcium-doped α-Fe2O3 (Ca-Fe2O3) with abundant oxygen vacancies was fabricated using a scalable precipitation-calcination method to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for wastewater purification. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the incorporation of Ca2+ into the α-Fe2O3 structure enhances the electron transfer from α-Fe2O3 to PMS, facilitating the activation of PMS. The degradation of Rhodamine B by 5%Ca-Fe2O3 proceeded with a reaction constant 8 times higher than that of pristine α-Fe2O3. This can be attributed to the increased generation of 1O2 and O2•−, increased specific surface area and enhanced electrical conductivity. The applicability of the 5%Ca-Fe2O3/PMS system was investigated including its operating parameters and stability, and the intermediates involved in the reaction were identified. The 5%Ca-Fe2O3/PMS system exhibited excellent degradation efficiency in natural water samples. This work opens up new perspectives for designing highly efficient catalysts and renders iron oxides potential candidates for environmental remediation.

Scalable synthesis of Ca-doped α-Fe2O3 with abundant oxygen vacancies for enhanced degradation of organic pollutants through peroxymonosulfate activation