Correction to: Effective degradation of tetracycline via recyclable free-standing three-dimensional copper-based graphene as a persulfate catalyst

Water pollution by antibiotics is a serious and growing problem. Given this challenge, a free-standing three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide foam supported copper oxide nanoparticles (3D-rGO-Cu x O) was synthesized using GO as a precursor and applied as an efficient persulfate activator for tetracycline (TC) degradation. The influences of Cu x O mass, solution pH, persulfate dosage, and common anions on the TC degradation were investigated in detail. Analytical techniques indicated that the 3D-rGO-Cu x O showed a cross-linking three-dimensional network structure, and Cu x O particles with irregular shapes were uniformly loaded on graphene pore walls. The XPS and Auger spectra of Cu confirmed that Cu 2 O was the main component in solid copper compounds. The addition of Cu x O was vitally important for the activation of the oxidation system, and the removal rate reached 98% with a Cu x O load of 7:1. The pH showed little influence on the activation effect on TC degradation. For common anions, Cl − and CO 3 2− had little influence on the system, while humic acid had a great inhibitory effect. The EPR test and quenching experiment revealed that the active substances in the oxidative degradation process mainly include SO 4 − ·, ·OH, 1 O 2 , and reactive Cu(III). Additionally, the 3D-rGO-Cu x O material proved highly stable according to the replicated test results and was promising for the remediation of antibiotic-contaminated water. Graphical Abstract