Removal of Levofloxacin by Activation of Peroxomonosulfate Using T-POMs@ZIF-67

The pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is a popular strategy for the synthesis of nanoporous structures. Polymetallic oxides (POMs) are a class of polyhedral structural compounds with unique physicochemical properties. Little effort has been paid to evaluate MOF-POM hybrid-derived materials for peroxomonosulfate (PMS) activation. In this study, a cobalt-based MOF, ZIF-67, together with three types of POMs (phosphomolybdic acid, silicotungstic acid, and phosphotungstic acid), were used as precursors for the synthesis of PMS activation catalyst via pyrolysis. Three T-POMs@ZIF-67 nanohybrids (T-PMo@ZIF-67, T-SiW@ZIF-67, and T-PW@ZIF-67) were obtained by pyrolyzing the prepared precursors at 500 °C. Furthermore, the prepared T-POMs@ZIF-67 nanomaterials were evaluated for the catalytic activation of PMS in the degradation of levofloxacin (LEV). The results showed that the LEV degradation rate could reach 91.46% within 30 min under the optimized conditions when T-PW@ZIF-67 was used as the PMS activation catalyst. The catalytic efficiency of the catalyst decreased by only 9.63% after five cycles, indicating that the material has good stability. This work demonstrates the great potential of POMs@MOF derivatives for application in the field of wastewater treatment.