Interfacial Engineering of a Magnetically Recoverable Agcufe2o4@Mwcnt/Zno Nanocatalyst: Unraveling Surface-Mediated Mechanisms in Thermochemical Persulfate Activation for Sustainable Cefixime Degradation Publisher



Ghanbari S ; Nasiri A ; Movahedian Attar H
Source: Journal of Water Process Engineering Published:2025

Abstract

This study investigated the Cefixime (CFX) degradation from aqueous solutions using persulfate (PS) activation by heat and AgCuFe2O4@MWCNT/ZnO as thermochemical oxidation technique. The characterization of the nanocatalyst was identified using FESEM, EDS, mapping, FTIR, VSM, XRD, BET, and TGA analyzers. The effect of operating parameters, including solution pH, catalyst dosage, PS dosage, temperature, CFX concentration, and reaction time were experimented. Under optimal conditions (pH = 7, [Cat] = 0.12 g/L, [PS] = 2 mM, temperature = 55 °C, [CFX] = 20 mg/L, reaction time = 60 min), the system achieved a CFX degradation efficiency of 84.4 %, mineralization of 72.69 %, and synergy factor of 2.73. superoxide radical (•O₂−) and singlet oxygen (1O₂) were the primary reactive species responsible for oxidative breakdown of CFX. The kinetic behavior of CFX degradation process was described by the pseudo-first-order model, and the reaction mechanism was consistent with Langmuir–Hinshelwood pathway. The presence of phosphate, bicarbonate, and humic acid showed inhibitory effect, contrary to chloride. After four cycles of recovery tests, the CFX degradation efficiency achieved 42.23 %, demonstrating the chemical stability of the catalyst. The amount of metal ions leached from nanocatalyst into the reaction medium was below 2.2 % of the total mass of the catalyst employed, indicating high structural stability under operational conditions. Toxicity evaluation using germination of Lepidium sativum , lettuce, and basil seeds demonstrated a significant detoxification of CFX-containing effluent after treatment. This research introduces a co-activation approach for PS, utilizing AgCuFe₂O₄@MWCNT/ZnO as a sustainable and thermally assisted catalyst to effectively degrade priority environmental contaminants. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.