Degradation of herbicide (glyphosate) using sunlight-sensitive MnO2/C catalyst immediately fabricated by high energy electron beam

Abstract This work provides an immediate fabrication approach for a manganese dioxide/graphite (MnO 2 /C) composite, as a photocatalyst for the degradation of glyphosate, via high energy electron beam irradiation. Such irradiation can effectively and facilely reduce MnO 4 − to MnO 2 nanospheres through the reduction effects of e − , e aq − , and H, as well as make graphite possess rough surface through thermal and sputtering effects of electron beam. In addition, the fabrication process introduces numerous hydroxyl groups on the surface of MnO 2 nanospheres, which can promote the adhesion of MnO 2 nanospheres onto the rough surface of graphite via hydrogen bonds. The resulting MnO 2 /C composite exhibits a large specific surface area, high dispersion, and thus an excellent adsorption and catalytic degradation performance on glyphosate. Importantly, the MnO 2 /C composite is rather sensitive to sunlight, and can effectively degrade glyphosate under sunlight.