In situ synthesis of Co-MOF@BC hybrid catalyst for enhanced BPA degradation via sulfite activation

A novel synthesis approach was employed to prepare the Co-MOF@BC composite catalyst, utilizing CoCl2·6H2O, 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (DHTA), and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) for the in situ growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on a two-dimensional biochar (BC) substrate. The physicochemical properties of Co-MOF@BC were characterized using SEM, BET, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS. A heterogeneous catalytic system, Co-MOF@BC/PMS, was established for bisphenol A (BPA) removal. The optimal BPA removal efficiency reached 93.66% under the following conditions: BPA concentration of 10 mg∙L-1, Co-MOF@BC dosage of 100 mg∙L-1, PMS dosage of 0.20 mM, initial pH of 7.0, and reaction temperature of 20°C. The proposed degradation mechanism involves PMS-catalyzed radical pathways (SO•−4, •OH and O•−2) and non-radical pathways (1O2 oxidation and direct electron transfer), as supported by material characterization and degradation efficiency assessment. This study provides insights into MOFs modification and lays the foundation for developing efficient heterogeneous catalysts in sequential redox-acidic oxidation processes (SR-AOPs)