Activation of sodium percarbonate with Fe3O4 @MXene composite for the efficient removal of bisphenol A

Sodium percarbonate (SPC) has been considered as a promising substitute of H 2 O 2 in Fenton reaction due to its lower cost and higher safety, while the frequently-applied homogeneous activation of SPC by metal ions still faces the recovery difficulties. Herein, a Fe 3 O 4 @MXene composite was prepared by anchoring Fe 3 O 4 onto the surface of Ti 3 C 2 -based MXene, to heterogeneously activate SPC for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation. The performance of Fe 3 O 4 @MXene/SPC process was evaluated under varies conditions. The results indicated that BPA could be effectively degraded by Fe 3 O 4 @MXene/SPC process, which exhibited much higher organic degradation rate comparing to other heterogeneously activated SPC processes with iron-bearing materials. The introduction of MXene as substrate into the composite not only increased the dispersibility and stability of Fe 3 O 4 , but enhanced the Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle, which promoted the SPC activation. Multiple reactive oxygen species including • OH, CO 3 • – , and 1 O 2 were involved in the BPA oxidation while the major contributing species varies with the pH. Additionally, the process worked well in real water matrices, while exhibiting higher selectivity toward organics containing benzene ring. This work provides a prospective heterogeneous material for SPC activation and will facilitate the application of SPC in wastewater treatment. • The sandwich-like Fe 3 O 4 @MXene composite was presented for SPC activation. • High efficiency in BPA degradation was achieved over pH range of 5.0-10.0. • MXene greatly increased the dispersibility and stability of Fe 3 O 4 . • The contribution of CO 3 • – toward BPA degradation was confirmed. • The activity of Fe 3 O 4 @MXene remained stable and was unaffected by real water matrix.