Oxygen vacancy enhancing the Fe2O3-CeO2 catalysts in Fenton-like reaction for the sulfamerazine degradation under O2 atmosphere

To develop an efficient and reusable heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst is a great challenge for its application in practical water treatment. Effective oxygen vacancy (OVs)-promoted Fe2O3-CeO2 catalyst was prepared by a sol-gel method, and applied in the heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction of the sulfamerazine (SMR) degradation. The Fe2O3-CeO2 catalyst showed good activity and stability, and total SMR conversion was achieved in the Fenton-like reaction after 75 min at pH 3.0 and 45 degrees C under O-2 atmosphere. Moreover, the SMR removal was significantly enhanced under 02 atmosphere. The surface bounded (OH)-O-center dot radicals played a dominant role for the SMR degradation. The Fe2O3-CeO2 catalyst remarkably promoted the generation of (OH)-O-center dot in the Fenton-like reaction under O-2 atmosphere, mostly because abundant OVs on the catalyst surface not only accelerated electron transfer to promote the H2O2 decomposition, but also oxygen molecules, adsorbed on OVs, formed O-2(center dot-)/HO2 center dot and promoted the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox cycle. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.