Efficient degradation of 4-fluorophenol under dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment using Cu/Fe-AO-PAN catalyst: Role of H2O2 production

• Addition of Cu/Fe-AO-PAN to DBDP process can improve 4-FP abatement, as well as defluorination efficiency and TOC removal. • Enhanced 4-FP removal was attributed to the Fenton-like process between Cu/Fe-AO-PAN and H 2 O 2 produced by DBDP. • The formation of binuclear metal complexes when H 2 O 2 , Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ existed simultaneously was proposed. The enhancement effect of Cu/Fe-amination-polyacrylonitrile (Cu/Fe-AO-PAN) as a catalyst for H 2 O 2 produced by dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) on 4-fluorophenol (4-FP) degradation was explored. The addition of Cu/Fe-AO-PAN significantly increased the 4-FP removal rate and degradation energy efficiency from 61.0% and 1777 mg kWh −1 to 75.6% and 2203 mg kWh −1 , respectively. The homologous total organic carbon (TOC) removal and defluorination efficiency were both increased (from 52.1% to 63.0% and 48.0% to 54.2%, respectively). The role of H 2 O 2 production was investigated by influencing parameter analysis and radical scavenging experiments. OH was verified to be a reactive species that increased 4-FP abatement, and was generated through electron transfer and binuclear metal complex formation between Cu/Fe-AO-PAN and H 2 O 2 during the Fenton-like process. This study provides a new insight into efficient wastewater treatment under DBDP process.