Co/kaolin-pectin/Co catalyst for activating peroxymonosulfate to degrade atrazine in water

The development of low cost and low ecotoxicity catalysts and carriers is the key path to achieve environmentally friendly advanced oxidation process (AOP) system. In this study, clay mineral-based catalysts (Co/Kaolin) were prepared to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for atrazine (ATZ) elimination. Rapid ATZ degradation (99.45 ± 0.22 % in 5 min) was observed in the Co/Kaolin + PMS system. EPR and Quenching experiments showed that SO₄^•- and •OH played a dominant role in the degradation of ATZ by PMS. DFT calculations demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of Kaolin with PMS was enhanced by the introduction of Co. Natural polysaccharide macromolecules (pectin) were applied as carrier for Co/Kaolin to facilitate the recycling of catalyst and reduce the leaching of Co. The cyclic degradation (6 times) confirmed that the Co/Kaolin-pectin/Co was stable in activating PMS to degrade ATZ (97.46 ± 0.44 %). The fluid bed degradation experiments exhibited the potential for long-term degradation of ATZ (96.34 ± 0.54 % in 8 h). Soybean planting experiments showed the feasibility of treated water for crop cultivation. This study demonstrates the potential of Co/Kaolin-pectin/Co for removing organic pollutants and provides a low-cost and environmentally friendly degradation technique for green sustainable development.