Oxidant or catalyst for oxidation? The role of manganese oxides in the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS)

Manganese oxides (MnOx) have been demonstrated to be effective materials to activate Oxone (i.e., PMS) to degrade various contaminants. However, the contribution of direct oxidation by MnOx to the total contaminant degradation under acidic conditions was often neglected in the published work, which has resulted in different and even conflicting interpretations of the reaction mechanisms. Here, the role of MnOx (as both oxidants and catalysts) in the activation of Oxone was briefly discussed. The findings offered new insights into the reaction mechanisms in PMS-MnOx and provided a more accurate approach to examine contaminant degradation for water/wastewater treatment.