Continuous peroxymonosufate activation for antibiotics degradation via fluorine-free-Ti3C2Tx-CoFe2O4 hydrogel beads: Performance, mechanism and application

This study explored the efficient, stable, and continuous treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater through rapid electron transfer between layered fluorine-free TiCT and CoFeO nanomicrospheres. These materials were synthesized into hydrogel beads crosslinked with sodium alginate, resulting high reactivity and stability. Ff-TiCT-CoFeO catalyst facilitated peroxymonosufate (PMS) activation through rapid electron transfer and the formation of Ff-TiCT-CoFeO-PMS* species, as confirmed by experiments and DFT calculations. The cleavage of the S-O bond on Ff-TiCT-CoFeO catalyst identified as the primary mechanism for the generation of singlet oxygen (O) In a continuous flow system, the degradation efficiency of antibiotics, such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX), remained above 96.9 % with ultra-low metal leaching (<1.3 μg·L, 72 h). This research provides significant insights into the practical application of PMS activation for antibiotic degradation, offering a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.