Selective Degradation of Organic Pollutants Using an Efficient Metal-Free Catalyst Derived from Carbonized Polypyrrole via Peroxymonosulfate Activation

Metal-free carbonaceous materials, including nitrogen-doped graphene and carbon nanotubes, are emerging as alternative catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to avoid drawbacks of conventional transition metal-containing catalysts, such as the leaching of toxic metal ions. However, these novel carbocatalysts face relatively high cost and complex syntheses, and their activation mechanisms have not been well-understood. Herein, we developed a novel nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanosphere catalyst by carbonization of polypyrrole, which was prepared through a scalable chemical oxidative polymerization. The defective degree of carbon substrate and amount of nitrogen dopants (i.e., graphitic nitrogen) were…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 21377084
• MO
  Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China

  Award: 201503107
• DO
  Division of Engineering Education and Centers

  Award: EEC-1449500