Efficient activation of peroxymonosulfate by MoS2 intercalated MgCuFe layered double hydroxide for phenol pollutant control

The application of MoS2 as an emerging cocatalyst in wastewater treatment is of great significance, but the efficiency of cocatalyst is often limited due to its easy agglomeration and insufficient interaction with the catalyst. Here, we used layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the catalyst and the growth template of MoS2 to achieve an efficient combination of catalyst and cocatalyst in the removal of organic pollutants by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The outcomes showed that the MoS2 intercalated LDH composite samples (MLDH) owned excellent phenol degradation performance, reaching nearly 100% removal within 10 min, and the calculated apparent rate constants were 2.3, 5.6, 17.7 and 19.8 times higher than that of the samples of directly growing MoS2 on the LDH (M@LDH), physically blended MoS2 and LDH samples, LDH and MoS2, respectively. Based on the results of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SO4•- had a major impact on the elimination of phenol, Mo(Ⅳ) in MoS2 also participated in and encouraged the Fe(Ⅲ)/Fe(Ⅱ) redox cycle, providing the driving force for the further activation of PMS. Moreover, the effects of pH value, anions, cations and water environment of MLDH during the activation of PMS were also determined, and it was found that under various catalytic environments, MLDH always maintained a high removal rate of phenol and showed strong anti-interference ability. Collectively, the results of this research would offer more possibilities and suggestions for creating highly effective catalysts for wastewater cleanup.