Catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate using CeVO4 for phenol degradation: An insight into the reaction pathway

In this study, a nanostructured CeVO4 material was synthesized using a simple co-precipitation technique and investigated as a catalyst for phenol degradation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The structural and morphological properties of the CeVO4 catalyst were characterized using XRD, XPS, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, SEM, and TEM. The results indicated that the prepared catalyst exhibited a pure crystalline phase with a rod-like structure. The CeVO4 catalyst exhibited high activity towards PMS activation, resulting in complete degradation of phenol within the first 80 min at room temperature. The degradation reaction was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics with a low activation energy of 23.74 kJ/mol. The degradation followed a catalytic surface-mediated electron transfer route as confirmed using ESR measurements. The effects of several experimental parameters on phenol degradation were investigated, including the catalyst loading, initial phenol concentration, PMS dosage, reaction temperature, and pH. The regeneration and reusability of the CeVO4 catalyst were also examined for 5 consecutive cycles. This study puts forward CeVO4 as a heterogeneous catalyst for the complete removal of persistent organic pollutants via PMS activation, indicating a favorable application in wastewater treatment.