Ascorbic acid-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a novel heterogeneous catalyst of persulfate for improving the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol

Abstract

Magnetic nanoscaled ascorbic acid/magnetite (H₂A/Fe₃O₄) composite was prepared by oxidative polymerization and proposed as a novel heterogeneous catalyst of persulfate (PS) for improved degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The composite was fully characterized and evaluated in terms of catalytic activity, effect of reaction parameters, iron ion leaching, and identification of primary reaction oxidants, as well as the possible role of H₂A. The degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP reached 98.5% within 150 min using the H₂A/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite compared with only 35.1% under the same conditions for pure nano Fe₃O₄. This result indicated an enhancement in the performance of activated PS. The findings of this study provide some new insights into the potential of using H₂A to enhance the performance of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the activation of PS for improving the degradation of organic pollutants.