MgAl2O4 incorporated catalytic ceramic membrane for catalytic ozonation of organic pollutants

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation (HCO) is a promising technology for organic pollutants removal in wastewater treatment owing to the generation of powerful but short-lived hydroxyl radicals (HO·). Herein, we incorporate MgAl2O4 catalysts on the surface of ceramic membrane pores (MgAl membrane) to enhance HO· utilization and promote pollutant degradation under spatial confinement. The MgAl catalytic membrane achieved a removal efficiency of 74.0% for ibuprofen (5 mg/L) with 68.8% total organic carbon (TOC) removal, and the pollutant removal efficiency maintained over 67% in 25 h. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and scavenging experiments revealed that HO· played the dominant role in pollutant degradation. The catalyst surface hydroxyl groups were identified as active sites to effectively generate HO· via ozone decomposition. This work provides a viable strategy to achieve efficient pollutant degradation in wastewater treatment under spatial confinement in a membrane configuration.