Copper Nanowire Networks: An Effective Electrochemical Peroxymonosulfate Activator toward Nitrogenous Pollutant Abatement

Authors：Zheng, Wentian; You, Shijie; Chen, Zhiqiang; Ding, Bin; Huang, Yingping; Ren, Nanqi; Liu, Yanbiao^*

Source：Environmental Science and Technology, 2023, 57(27): 10127-10134.

DOI：10.1021/acs.est.3c03201

• peroxymonosulfate
• copper nanowires
• atomichydrogen
• Cu-N bond
• water decontamination

Electrified copper nanowire filter enableseffective, rapid,and robust abatement of assorted nitrogenous pollutants from watervia PMS activation. @@@ Herein, we developed an electrochemical filtration systemfor effectiveand selective abatement of nitrogenous organic pollutants via peroxymonosulfate(PMS) activation. Highly conductive and porous copper nanowire (CuNW)networks were constructed to serve simultaneously as catalyst, electrode,and filtration media. In one demonstration of the CuNW network'scapability, a single pass through a CuNW filter (tau < 2 s)degraded 94.8% of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) at an applied potential of-0.4 V vs SHE. The exposed {111} crystal plane of CuNW triggeredatomic hydrogen (H*) generation on sites, which contributed to effectivePMS reduction. Meanwhile, with the involvement of SMX, a Cu-Nbond was formed by the interactions between the -NH2 group of SMX and the Cu sites of CuNW, accompanied by the redoxcycling of Cu2+/Cu+, which was facilitated bythe applied potential. The different charges of the active Cu sitesmade it easier to withdraw electrons and promote PMS oxidation. Theoreticalcalculations and experimental results were combined to suggest a mechanismfor pollution abatement with CuNW networks. The results showed thatsystem efficacy for the degradation of a wide array of nitrogenouspollutants was robust across a broad range of solution pH and complexaqueous matrices. The flow-through operation of the CuNW filter outperformedconventional batch electrochemistry due to convection-enhanced masstransport. This study provides a new strategy for environmental remediationby integrating state-of-the-art material science, advanced oxidationprocesses, and microfiltration technology.