Interfacial engineering for enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation of Co nanoparticles/nitrogen-doped carbon microreactor on the carbon felt

Constructing a catalytic filtration system for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation represents an efficient strategy for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants. In this work, porous microreactor featuring metal Co nanoparticles/nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) interfaces are constructed via thermal conversion on the surface of carbon felt (CF). The construction of the Co/NC interface and the full exploitation of active sites on the porous microreactor (Co/NC/CF-3), 95.62% of phenol (20 mg/L) was removed within 30 min via PMS activation. The direction of electron transfer at the Co/NC interface has been confirmed through electrochemical tests and density functional theory calculations. The study further elucidated the promoting effect of Co/NC interface construction on the activation of the PMS reaction process. Reactive oxygen species were systematically investigated through experimental analysis and EPR characterization. Meanwhile, the mechanism of PMS activation was analyzed. The utilization of Co/NC/CF-3 in constructing a continuous flow device facilitates the stable and efficient removal of phenol. This study provides novel insights into enhancing the integrated application of microreactor for PMS activation in wastewater purification.