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Synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like activation of H2O2 by a ferroelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 catalyst to boost degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic (PET-MPs)
Summary
Scientists developed a new method using a special catalyst combined with ultrasound to break down PET microplastics (the type found in plastic bottles) in water, achieving nearly 29% removal in 72 hours. While focused on cleanup technology rather than health, this kind of research is important because current methods for removing microplastics from the environment are largely ineffective.
Pollution of microplastics (MPs) has been drastically threating human health, however, whose elimination from the environment by current approaches is inefficient due to their high molecular weight, stronghydrophobicity and stable covalent bonds. Herein, we report a novel and highly-efficient route to degrade MPs contaminants through synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like activation of H2O2 by a ferroelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 catalyst under ultrasound treatment. For 10 g/L polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), the synergistic strategy reached a 28.9 % removal rate in 72 h, which is greatly enhanced in comparison to the individual piezocatalysis and Fenton (Fenton-like) activation. By optimizing the types of oxidants (H2O2, peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate) and bismuth ferrite catalysts (non-piezoelectric Bi2Fe4O9 and piezoelectric BiFeO3/Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5), it was revealed that H2O2 is the best oxidant, and the piezoelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 with a high aspect-ratio morphology showed higher activity than the Bi2Fe4O9 and BiFeO3. The catalyst dosage and H2O2 concentration were further optimized, and the good durability of the catalyst was also demonstrated through multiple uses. Different characterization technologies demonstrated the occurrence of PET-MPs oxidation and fragmentation during the treatment process. The plausible mechanism of synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like H2O2 activation was proposed based on measurements of band structure, piezoelectric property and reactive oxygen species generation. Finally, we detected the intermediates and determined a possible degradation route of PET-MPs. The toxicity assessment indicated that the produced intermediates have low toxicity and potential risks to the environment.