Defect modulation of MOF-derived ZnFe2O4/CNTs microcages for persulfate activation: Enhanced nonradical catalytic oxidation

There has been growing interest in the combination of porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived architectures with conductive carbonaceous materials for the synergistically enhanced catalytic activity. Herein, we described a facile strategy to synthesize a highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst through pyrolysis of MOFs as sacrificial templates. We found that creating defective sites in CNTs precursors exhibited significant impact on the charge transfer capability of composite microcages and the coordination environment of Fe centers. With the assistant of persulfate oxidants, ZnFe2O4/CNTs-Ar with modulated defects exhibited 17.5-fold higher kinetic reaction rate (0.35 min−1) than blank ZnFe2O4 microcages for Bisphenol A degradation. Experimental characterizations suggested that defective CNTs played a vital role in shuttling electron from BPA molecules to persulfate, triggered the direct decomposition of pollutants via a non-radical oxidation pathway. Our research provides a new strategy to develop high-performance MOFs-derived catalysts through defect modulation for wastewater treatment.