Co-activation of persulfate by cation and anion from FeP for advanced oxidation processes

In this study, a new strategy about cation and anion co-activation of persulfate (PS) is discovered. A novel material of iron phosphide (FeP) is prepared via phosphidation method and used for PS activation. The FeP exhibits the highest activity for degradation (99.5 %) and mineralization (79.5 %) of ibuprofen within 120 min. The superior activity of FeP is due to the abundant Fe alpha+ in FeP, which can directly activate PS and accelerates the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle by electron transfer between Fe alpha+ and Fe3+. More importantly, the P in FeP carries partial negative charges (P beta-) It possesses the electron-donating ability, which can also activate PS and regenerate Fe2+ from Fe3+. Consequently, cation Fe and anion P can contribute co-activation of PS for effective pollution degradation. Therefore, this study sheds light on the key effect of anion on PS activation, broadens the application of FeP, and also provides an innovative strategy for environmental treatments.

Automated summary

This study discovered a new strategy of cation and anion co-activation of persulfate, utilizing a novel material of iron phosphide (FeP) for effective pollution degradation. The superior activity of FeP for PS activation is attributed to the abundant Fe alpha+ and electron-donating ability of P, which can accelerate the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle and regenerate Fe2+ from Fe3+, respectively.