Nanostructured Co-Mn containing perovskites for degradation of pollutants: Insight into the activity and stability

The efficient oxidative removal of persistent organic components in wastewater relies on low-cost heterogeneous catalysts that offer high catalytic activity, stability, and recyclability. Here, we designed a series of nanostructured Co-Mn containing perovskite catalysts, LaCo1-xMnO3+delta (LCM, x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0), with over-stoichiometric oxygen (8 > 0) to show superior catalytic activity for the degradation of a variety of persistent aqueous organic pollutants by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The nature of LCM for catalysis was comprehensively investigated. A volcano-shaped correlation was observed between the catalytic activity and electron filling (e(g)) of Co in LCM. Among these compounds, LaCo0.5Mn0.5O3+delta (LCM55) exhibited an excellent activity with e(g) = 1.27. The high interstitial oxygen ion diffusion rate (D-O(2-) = 1.58 +/- 0.01 x 10(-13) cm(2)s(-1)) of LCM55 also contributes to its catalytic activity. The enhanced stability of LCM55 can be ascribed to its stronger relative acidity (3.22). Moreover, an increased solution pH (pH >= 7) generated a faster organic degradation rate and a decrease in metal leaching (0.004 mM) for LCM55 perovskite, justifying it as a potential material for environmental remediation.