Heat enhanced bisphenol AF degradation in CoFe₂O₄@BC activated peroxymonosulfate process: Mechanism and the role of inorganic anions

Carbon-based materials and heat activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) have emerged as promising technologies for the remediation of contaminated water. This study investigated the feasibility of Bisphenol AF (BPAF) degradation by coupling CoFe2O4@BC catalyst with heat activated PMS technology. Heat significantly enhanced the catalytic performance of CoFe2O4@BC for PMS activation, resulting in 87.0 % removal of BPAF. Meanwhile, the effects of PMS concentration, CoFe2O4@BC catalyst dosage, initial pH, and the inorganic anions on BPAF degradation were investigated. The presence of HCO3 and HPO42 were found to enhance BPAF degradation by promoting PMS decomposition, while humic acid (HA) significantly inhibited BPAF removal. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and quenching experiments suggested that sulfate radicals (SO4 center dot-) were the dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the system, with hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) and singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) also contributing to BPAF degradation. Based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) and intermediates analysis, two degradation pathways of BPAF were proposed, including hydroxylation and beta-scission reactions. This work reveals the underlying mechanism of PMS activation under the coupling of heat with the CoFe2O4@BC system and presents a potential method for contaminants decomposition.