Tetracycline degradation by persulfate activated with novel magnetic composite ferrocene/chitosan@Fe3O4

Abstract BACKGROUND Ferrocene (Fc) is a chemically stable, safe and non‐toxic substance with excellent redox performance and is often used to activate various oxidants. However, Fc is a nanoscale non‐magnetic material, which needs a suitable carrier such as chitosan (CS) to be fixed and being compounded with magnetic material for recycling. RESULTS A new magnetic catalyst, Fc/CS@Fe 3 O 4 , was prepared for activating persulfate (PS) to degrade tetracycline (TC) in water. The catalyst prepared was characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry, and the effects of the dosage of PS and catalyst, pH, temperature, coexisting anions and fulvic acid on TC degradation were investigated. The results showed that the removal of TC could be promoted by increasing the temperature, and acidic conditions are more beneficial to TC degradation than alkaline conditions. Cl − , CO 3 2− , HCO 3 − and fulvic acid could all inhibit the degradation of TC. Light and catalyst had a synergistic activation effect on PS. Under conditions of PS and catalyst dosage all 400 mg L −1 , temperature 25° C, TC concentration 30 mg L −1 and initial pH 5, TC could be completely degraded within 60 min. Both SO 4 −• and HO • contributed to TC degradation, and SO 4 −• was the main active species in the degradation system. CONCLUSION The results indicate that Fc/CS@Fe 3 O 4 has good catalytic activity and stability, and has potential application in the treatment of antibiotics in water. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).