Sedum Plumbizincicola Derived Functional Carbon for Activation of Peroxymonosulfate to Eliminate Bisphenol A: Performance and Reaction Mechanisms

Carbon-based functional materials are deemed to be excellent candidates to adsorb contaminants from wastewater, yet their catalytic roles in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are still ambiguous. Therefore, four functional carbons (SPFCx) were fabricated in this study under various pyrolysis temperatures by using Sedum plumbizincicola (SP) residues (a kind of phytoremediation plant) as the precursors. Notably, SPFC800 exhibited the best adsorption capacity (qe = 26.081 mg g−1) toward bisphenol A (BPA) due to its having the largest specific surface area (121.57 m2 g−1). By injecting peroxymonosulfate (PMS, 5.0 mM), BPA (10 mg L−1) could be completely removed within 70 min. More importantly, the BPA removal was stable and effective even in complex wastewater. Interestingly, radicals played minor roles in the SPFC800/PMS system, while nonradical mechanisms (i.e., 1O2 and electron-transfer regime) were responsible for the BPA elimination, which was verified by quenching tests, solvent exchange experiments (H2O2→D2O), and electrochemical experiments. Overall, this work may provide a facile and green method for BPA contaminated-wastewater purification and promote the application of AOPs in environmental remediation.