Modulating Direct Growth of Copper Cobaltite Nanostructure on Copper Mesh as a Hierarchical Catalyst of Oxone Activation for Efficient Elimination of Azo Toxicant
Po-Hsin Mao,
Eilhann Kwon,
Hou-Chien Chang,
Ha Manh Bui,
Songkeart Phattarapattamawong,
Yu-Chih Tsai,
Kun-Yi Andrew Lin,
Afshin Ebrahimi,
Yeoh Fei Yee,
Min-Hao Yuan
Affiliations
Po-Hsin Mao
Department of Environmental Engineering & Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Eilhann Kwon
Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, SeongDong-Gu, Seoul 133-791, Republic of Korea
Hou-Chien Chang
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Ha Manh Bui
Department of Environmental Sciences, Saigon University, Ho Chi Minh 700000, Vietnam
Songkeart Phattarapattamawong
Department of Environmental Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
Yu-Chih Tsai
Department of Environmental Engineering & Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Kun-Yi Andrew Lin
Department of Environmental Engineering & Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Afshin Ebrahimi
Environment Research Center, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences Isfahan, Isfahan 81746-73461, Iran
Yeoh Fei Yee
School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 14300, Malaysia
Min-Hao Yuan
Department of Occupational Safety and Health, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
As cobalt (Co) has been the most useful element for activating Oxone to generate SO4•−, this study aims to develop a hierarchical catalyst with nanoscale functionality and macroscale convenience by decorating nanoscale Co-based oxides on macroscale supports. Specifically, a facile protocol is proposed by utilizing Cu mesh itself as a Cu source for fabricating CuCo2O4 on Cu mesh. By changing the dosages of the Co precursor and carbamide, various nanostructures of CuCo2O4 grown on a Cu mesh can be afforded, including nanoscale needles, flowers, and sheets. Even though the Cu mesh itself can be also transformed to a Cu-Oxide mesh, the growth of CuCo2O4 on the Cu mesh significantly improves its physical, chemical, and electrochemical properties, making these CuCo2O4@Cu meshes much more superior catalysts for activating Oxone to degrade the Azo toxicant, Acid Red 27. More interestingly, the flower-like CuCo2O4@Cu mesh exhibits a higher specific surface area and more superior electrochemical performance, enabling the flower-like CuCo2O4@Cu mesh to show the highest catalytic activity for Oxone activation to degrade Acid Red 27. The flower-like CuCo2O4@Cu mesh also exhibits a much lower Ea of Acid Red 27 degradation than the reported catalysts. These results demonstrate that CuCo2O4@Cu meshes are advantageous heterogeneous catalysts for Oxone activation, and especially, the flower-like CuCo2O4@Cu mesh appears as the most effective CuCo2O4@Cu mesh to eliminate the toxic Acid Red 27.
