Enhanced Fenton-like process over Cu/L(+)-ascorbic acid co-doping mesoporous silica for toxicity reduction of emerging contaminants

Effective removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) to minimize their impacts on human health and the natural environment is a global priority. For the removal of ECs in water, we fabricated a seaweed spherical microsphere catalyst with Cu cation-π structures by in situ doping of Cu species and ascorbic acid in mesoporous silica (Cu-C-MSNs) via a hydrothermal method. The results indicate that bisphenol A (BPA) is substantially degraded within 5 min under natural conditions, with its biological toxicity considerably weakened. Moreover, industrial wastewater could also be effectively purified by Cu-C-MSNs/H₂O₂ system. The presence of metal sites and the complexation of ECs via cation-π interaction and π-π stacking on the catalyst surface were directly responsible for the polarization distribution of electrons, thus activating H₂O₂ and dissolved oxygen (DO). The removal of contaminants could be attributed primarily to 1) the activation of H₂O₂ into ^•OH to attack the contaminants and 2) self-cleavage because of the transfer of electrons from the contaminants to the catalysts. This study provides an innovative solution for the effective treatment of ECs and has positive implications for easing global environmental crises.