O2 plasma-modified carbon nanotube for sulfamethoxazole degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation: Synergism of radical and non-radical pathways boosting water decontamination and detoxification

Shiqi Liu; Zichen Zhang; Rui Lu; Yuankun Mao; Huiru Ge; Can Liu; Chenxi Tian; Siyuan Yin; Li Feng; Yongze Liu; Chao Chen; Liqiu Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140214

O₂ plasma-modified carbon nanotube for sulfamethoxazole degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation: Synergism of radical and non-radical pathways boosting water decontamination and detoxification

Chemosphere. 2023 Dec:344:140214. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140214. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

Authors

Shiqi Liu¹, Zichen Zhang², Rui Lu³, Yuankun Mao⁴, Huiru Ge⁴, Can Liu³, Chenxi Tian³, Siyuan Yin³, Li Feng⁵, Yongze Liu⁶, Chao Chen², Liqiu Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address: liushiqi@bjfu.edu.cn.
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
³ Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
⁴ Technical Center of Solid Waste and Chemicals Management, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijin, 100029, China.
⁵ Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address: fengli_hit@163.com.
⁶ Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Engineering Research Center for Water Pollution Source Control & Eco-remediation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address: liuyongze@bjfu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37739128
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140214

Abstract

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a widely used antibiotic, has triggered increasing attention due to its extensive detection in wastewater effluent, causing serious ecological threats. Herein, a carbon-based heterogeneous catalyst was developed by the O₂ plasma-etching process, regulating oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs) and defects of carbon nanotubes (O-CNT) to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for highly efficient SMX abatement. Through adjusting the etching time, the desired active sites (i.e., C=O and defects) could be rationally created. Experiments collectively suggested that the degradation of SMX was owing to the contribution of synergism by radical (^•OH (17.3%) and SO₄^•- (39.3%)) and non-radical pathways (¹O₂, 43.4%), which originated from PMS catalyzed by C=O and defects. In addition, the possible degradation products and transformation pathways of SMX in the system were inferred by combining the Fukui function calculations and the LC-MS/MS analysis. And the possible degradation pathway was effective in reducing the environmental toxicity of SMX, as evidenced by the T.E.S.T. software and the micronucleus experiment on Vicia faba root tip. Also, the catalytic system exhibited excellent performance for different antibiotics removal, such as amoxicillin (AMX), carbamazepine (CBZ) and isopropylphenazone (PRP). This study is expected to provide an alternative strategy for antibiotics removal in water decontamination and detoxification.

Keywords: Carbon nanotube; Peroxymonosulfate; Plasma-etching; Sulfamethoxazole degradation; Water detoxification.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / analysis
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Chromatography, Liquid
Decontamination
Nanotubes, Carbon*
Oxygen / analysis
Peroxides / chemistry
Sulfamethoxazole / chemistry
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Sulfamethoxazole
peroxymonosulfate
Nanotubes, Carbon
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Peroxides
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Oxygen