Development of CuCo2O4 integrated ceramic membrane for peroxymonosulfate activation: An efficient oxidation process for bisphenol A degradation

In this study, a new functionalized flat-sheet ceramic membrane (CuCo2O4-CM) was prepared by an impregnation-calcination strategy and used in the removal of Bisphenol A (BPA). Various characterization results indicated that a CuCo2O4 layer was uniformly anchored on the membrane surface and the internal porous channels. The CuCo2O4-CM possessed a smaller mean pore size (80 nm) and better hydrophilicity than the pristine α-Al2O3 substrate after modification. The catalytic degradation in CuCo2O4-CM /PMS system revealed that 92.1% of BPA and 70.0% of TOC could be removed under optimal conditions (pH = 7.0, CBPA = 30 mg/L and CPMS = 2 mM). Meanwhile, the membrane showed good reusability and improved antifouling properties. During the reaction, four reactive oxygen species (·OH, SO4·-, O2·- and 1O2) were generated and they all responded for the degradation of BPA. In addition, the mechanism of PMS activation and BPA degradation were proposed. This study presented an efficient oxidation process for BPA degradation and outlines the synergistic effect of separation and catalytic oxidation.