Enhanced adsorption and catalytic degradation of antibiotics by porous 0D/3D Co3O4/g-C3N4 activated peroxymonosulfate: An experimental and mechanistic study

In this work, Co3O4/g-C3N4 catalyst with highly efficient adsorption and degradation of antibiotics was developed based on the combination of three-dimensional (3D) porous morphological controls of gC3N4 and the loading of Co3O4 quantum dots (Co3O4 QDs). It was discovered that the catalyst can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) through a non-photochemical path, and a high tetracycline elimination rate of 99.7% can be achieved within 18 min. The characterization and density functional theory calculation results demonstrated that the porous 3D structure can not only promote the substrate adsorption reaction but also provide large surface area and countless exposed active sites for catalytic reaction. The introduction of Co3O4 QDs lowered activation energy barrier and lead to high energy of PMS adsorption. More efficient charge migration between the catalyst and PMS further accelerated PMS activation. Thus, leading to the excellent catalytic performance. In addition, non-free radical mediated degradation

Automated summary

In this work, a Co3O4/g-C3N4 catalyst was developed for highly efficient adsorption and degradation of antibiotics. The catalyst effectively activated PMS through a non-photochemical path and demonstrated excellent catalytic performance.