Promoting the photogeneration of hydrochar reactive oxygen species based on FeAl layered double hydroxide for diethyl phthalate degradation

Abstract Improving the photocatalytic capacity of hydrochar to apply in wastewater treatment is of great significance. In this study, a novel heterogeneous photocatalytic material was prepared by compounding hydrochar with FeAl layered double hydroxide (FeAl-LDH). Furthermore, hydrochar was separated into hydrochar carbon matrix (HCM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) to analyse their contribution in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The characterization and photocatalytic property of three composites (hydrochar-LDH, HCM-LDH and DOM-LDH) were investigated. The results showed that three composites were successfully synthesized with the formation of nano-sized LDH, graphitic carbon and oxygen vacancies. Persistent free radicals (PFRs) existed in hydrochar and the amount of them increased distinctly with the presence of FeAl-LDH. The degradation efficiency of DEP by hydrochar-LDH, HCM-LDH and DOM-LDH was 5.0, 4.2 and 1.5 times than that of hydrochar within 180 min, respectively. The reasons were proposed as: (i) Both HCM-LDH and DOM-LDH could induce the formation of •OH, O2•- and 1O2, while HCM-LDH was the main contributor to generate O2•- and •OH; (ii) HCM-LDH possessed many oxygenated functional groups, which were key factors affecting the formation of ROS; (iii) Fe could enhance the electron transfer process during the photoreaction, promoting the formation of ROS.