Mechanistic insights into the efficient activation of peracetic acid by ZIF-67 for bisphenol A degradation

The performance of heterogeneous peracetic acid (PAA) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is intricately linked to the optimized utilization of active metal sites. From this angle, the organic metal frameworks (MOFs) material ZIF-67 rich in Co²⁺ sites were synthesized and applied to activate PAA for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in this study. The introduction of ZIF-67 resulted in rapid degradation of BPA through the generation of a distinctive reactive species, the Co(II)–PAA complex, as corroborated by ¹⁸O isotope-labeling experiments, which can also further evolve into secondary reactive species, such as RO^•, ^•OH, and Co³⁺. Moreover, our exploration of the structure-activity relationship of bisphenol compounds revealed that the ZIF-67/PAA process exhibits both electrophilic and nucleophilic properties. Notably, this process presented adaptability under both acidic and neutral pH conditions, demonstrating efficient degradation even in the presence of challenging matrices such as HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, or humic acid in water bodies. Overall, this article evidenced the effectiveness of ZIF-67 in activating PAA for BPA degradation, offering insights into the role of Co(II)–PAA complex in the oxidation of contaminants in water.