Regulation of MnO Structural Characteristics by Oxyanions to Boost Permanganate Autocatalysis for Phenol Removal.

Oxyanions, a class of constituents naturally occurring in water, have been widely demonstrated to enhance permanganate (Mn(VII)) decontamination efficiency. However, the detailed mechanism remains ambiguous, mainly because the role of oxyanions in regulating the structural parameters of colloidal MnO to control the autocatalytic activity of Mn(VII) has received little attention. Herein, the origin of oxyanion-induced enhancement is systematically studied using theoretical calculations, electrochemical tests, and structure-activity relation analysis. Using bicarbonate (HCO) as an example, the results indicate that HCO can accelerate the degradation of phenol by Mn(VII) by improving its autocatalytic process. Specifically, HCO plays a significant role in regulating the structure of produced MnO colloids, i.e., increasing the surface Mn(III) content and restricting particle growth. These structural changes in MnO facilitate its strong binding to Mn(VII), thereby triggering interfacial electron transfer. The resultant surface-activated Mn(VII)* complexes demonstrate excellent degrading activity via directly seizing one electron from phenol. Further, other oxyanions with appropriate ionic potentials (i.e., borate, acetate, metasilicate, molybdate, and phosphate) exhibit favorable influences on the oxidative capability of Mn(VII) through an activation mechanism similar to that of HCO. These findings considerably improve our fundamental understanding of the oxidation behavior of Mn(VII) in actual water environments and provide a theoretical foundation for designing autocatalytically boosted Mn(VII) oxidation systems.