MgAl2O4 incorporated catalytic ceramic membrane for catalytic ozonation of organic pollutants

Heterogeneous catalytic ozonation (HCO) is a promising technology for organic pollutants removal in waste-water treatment owing to the generation of powerful but short-lived hydroxyl radicals (HO & sdot;). Herein, we incorporate MgAl2O4 catalysts on the surface of ceramic membrane pores (MgAl membrane) to enhance HO & sdot; 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 & sdot; played the dominant role in pollutant degradation. The catalyst surface hydroxyl groups were identified as active sites to effectively generate HO & sdot; via ozone decomposition. This work provides a viable strategy to achieve efficient pollutant degradation in wastewater treatment under spatial confinement in a membrane configuration.