Enhanced phthalate degradation in sewage plant by heterogeneous electro-fenton modified bimetallic single-atom catalyst

Phthalate organic pollutants are widespread in the environment and have carcinogenic, immunotoxic and reproductive toxicity to various life systems, causing ecological risks and threatening human health. ElectroFenton catalysis represents the promising technology to produce super-active center dot OH for tackling severe water environment pollution issues, whereas it suffers from low atomic efficiency, poor pH adaptability, and catalyst non-reusability in a homogeneous or heterogeneous system. Therefore, we designed a bifunctional FeCo bimetallic single-atom catalyst (FeCo@NPC) for the electron-Fenton process, in which O2 is converted by synergistic interaction between Fe and Co atoms, phthalates were effectively degraded and mineralised with a degradation rate of 93.1 % under neutral conditions. The susceptibility sites and degradation pathways of DMP were reasonably inferred from DFT theoretical calculations and LC-MS results. The ecotoxicith assessment of the degradation products indicated that the FeCo@NPC electro-Fenton system has a considerable attenuation ability for DMP degradation. In addition, The overall removal rate of PAEs from actual wastewater by the electro Fenton system modified with this catalyst is 56 %. The catalyst proved to be pH-universality, long-term stability and environmentally friendly. This study provides new insights into effective and eco-friendly bifunctional electrocatalysts for the removal of phthalate contaminants.