Fabrication and characterization of one-dimensional Co(OH)F nanorods and the photo-assisted Fenton-like activity for tetracycline degradation

Co(OH)F nanorods have been synthesized from the reactions of Co(NO 3 ) 2 , hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and NH 4 F via the hydrothermal method. The structures and morphologies of as-prepared sample are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV-DRS) and Raman. The photo-assisted Fenton-like activity of Co(OH)F nanorods was investigated by the degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. The results show that the catalyst of Co(OH)F nanorods has good photocatalytic activity and stability. Radical scavengers and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra were employed to evaluate the capability to produce ·O 2 − and ·OH active species upon visible light illumination. The characterization and experimental results revealed that Co(OH)F nanorods may promote the decomposition of H 2 O 2 , thus improving photo-assisted Fenton-like reaction activity for degradation TC.