Facile synthesis of ultrafine Co3O4/Al2O3 catalysts for superior peroxymonosulfate activation in rhodamine B degradation

Advanced oxidation processes based on persulfate (PS-AOPs) have emerged as effective strategies for environmental remediation, with cobalt-based oxides serving as prominent catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. In this study, we developed a highly active Co3O4/Al2O3 catalyst (Co/AA) featuring ultrafine nanoparticles, synthesized via a facile approach using tannic acid (TA) as a coordinating agent and activated alumina as a robust support. Co/AA-0.1, as the representative catalyst, was characterized and exhibited outstanding performance in degrading rhodamine B (RB) via PMS activation. Our findings highlight TA's critical role in reducing Co3O4 nanoparticle size, thereby increasing the availability of active sites. The degradation mechanism was elucidated through reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis, revealing that sulfate radicals (SO4•−) are the dominant ROS. The high activity of Co/AA-0.1 is confirmed by analyzing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and O2-temperature programmed desorption data of the samples. We also investigate the effects of various factors, such as anions, reaction temperatures, and PMS dosage, on RB degradation. Higher temperatures for treating the catalyst are found to reduce activity but improve stability. Notably, the catalyst synthesized through EDTA-assisted synthesis showed balanced activity and stability. Furthermore, the versatility of our synthesis method was demonstrated by successfully applying it to other supports, such as SiO2 and TiO2, offering the development of more efficient and stable catalysts for environmental applications. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd