Potential Difference Driving Electron Transfer via Defective Carbon Nanotubes toward Selective Oxidation of Organic Micropollutants

Nanocarbon-based persulfate oxidation emerges as a promising technology for the elimination of organic micropollutants (OMPs). However, the nature of the active site and its working mechanism remain elusive, impeding developments of high-performance oxidative technology for water treatment practice. Here, we report that defect-rich carbon nanotubes (CNTs) exhibit a superior activity in the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for OMP oxidation. Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies combined with theoretical calculations unveil that the double-vacancy defect on CNTs may be the intrinsic active site, which works as a conductive bridge to facilitate the potential difference-dominated electron…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 51678285, 51908270
• GO
  Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

  Award: 2019ZD001
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

  Awards: 2019YFC1907900, 2018YFC0406400
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province

  Award: 20192BAB213016