Explore synergistic catalytic ozonation by dual active sites of oxygen vacancies and defects in MgO/biochar for atrazine degradation

The design of highly efficient and sustainable catalytic materials is highly desirable for the development of advanced oxidation process (AOPs) used in water treatment. This study used waste litchi shells as precursors to prepare biochar (BC). The composite material (BC@MgO) was synthesized upon loading magnesium oxide (MgO) on BC and used for the heterogeneous catalytic ozonation (HCO) of atrazine (ATZ). BC@MgO exhibited an ATZ degradation rate of 92.8 % over 30 min under the optimal degradation conditions and maintained its good catalytic performance over four cycles, exhibiting excellent catalytic activity and stability. Characterization and experimental results revealed the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies (OVs) and BC defects on the adsorption and decomposition of ozone molecules. The exposure of the surface magnesium ions was promoted in the presence of OVs on MgO, allowing water molecules to dissociate on the surface magnesium sites to form surface hydrated hydroxyl groups. Biochar defects accelerated the adsorption of ozone molecules by virtue of its higher surface energy. These active sites led to the substantial generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which possessed strong oxidizing ability and thereby participated in the degradation of ATZ. In addition, the possible degradation pathways and toxicity of ATZ were evaluated. Overall, this design provided a novel approach to the comprehensive utilization of waste lychee shells, as well as an efficient, stable, and green catalyst for the development of AOPs used in water treatment.