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. Electro-Fenton catalysis represents the promising technology to produce super-active •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 O 2 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.