Peroxymonosulfate activation by octahedral Cu2O for Orange Ⅰ degradation via radical and non-radical pathways

In this study, cubic Cu 2 O (c-Cu 2 O) and octahedral Cu 2 O (o-Cu 2 O) were prepared through a simple method and applied to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of Orange Ⅰ (OⅠ). o-Cu 2 O exhibited excellent activity for PMS activation with 85.68 % of OⅠ being removed within 30 min, and its catalytic activity remained high even if it was used repeated six times. The effects of PMS concentration, initial pH, anions (Cl – , HCO 3 – and NO 3 – ) and natural organic matter (NOM) on OⅠ degradation in the o-Cu 2 O/PMS system were investigated. The mechanism study implied that OⅠ was oxidized via radical (SO 4 •– , •OH and O 2 •– ) and non-radical ( 1 O 2 and electron transfer) pathways in the o-Cu 2 O/PMS system. This work provides an interesting insight into PMS activation by Cu-based catalysts for wastewater treatment. • c-Cu 2 O and o-Cu 2 O were synthesized by a simple method. • o-Cu 2 O was an excellent catalyst for PMS activation achieving higher OⅠ removal. • The mechanism of PMS activation by o-Cu 2 O was explored.