Insight into FeOOH-mediated advanced oxidation processes for the treatment of organic polluted wastewater

The discharge of organic wastewater poses a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been widely investigated in organic wastewater treatment owing to their efficient removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants and eco-friendly treatment proceedings. The iron oxide hydroxide (FeOOH)-mediated AOPs systems with excellent catalytic performance and wide applicability have become a popular topic in the field of wastewater treatment. As an essential iron-based material, FeOOH possesses a large specific surface area, excellent light harvesting capacity, inherently abundant surface functional groups and iron species for mediating many AOPs wastewater treatment. The purpose of this review is to present the recent progress of FeOOH-based catalysts for organic wastewater treatment via photocatalytic oxidation, Fenton-like oxidation, catalytic ozonation, and persulfates activation processes, with an emphasis on the catalytic performance and mechanism involved in these AOPs systems. The diverse FeOOH crystal phases and main aqueous chemistry factors affecting the degradation efficiency of FeOOH-mediated AOPs are also discussed. Besides, some tips for application of FeOOH-mediated AOPs are briefly concluded. Eventually, the existing shortcomings and further application prospects of FeOOH-mediated AOPs in the treatment of organic wastewater are proposed. This review would help to inspire the exploration of more creative preparation methods for FeOOH-based catalysts and further practical applications for FeOOH-mediated AOPs.