Catalytic ozonation of bisphenol A by Cu/Mn@γ-AlO: Performance evaluation and mechanism insight.

Herein, an alumina-based bimetallic catalyst (CuMn@γ-AlO) was synthesized for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation in the catalytic ozonation process. The catalytic ozonation system could degrade 93.9% of BPA within 30 min under the conditions of pH = 7.0, 10 mg L O concentration, and 24 g L catalyst dosage compared to ozone alone (21.0%). The enhanced BPA degradation efficiency was attributed to the abundant catalytic sites and synergistic effects of Cu and Mn. The results revealed that the synergistic interaction between Cu and Mn effectively accelerated the electron transfer process on the catalyst surface, thus promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further studies indicated that the BPA degradation in CuMn@γ-AlO/O system predominantly followed the ·OH and O oxidation pathway. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and intermediates detected by LC-MS analysis, two pathways for BPA degradation in the CuMn@γ-AlO/O system were proposed. The toxicity estimation illustrated that the toxicity of BPA and its byproducts was effectively reduced in the CuMn@γ-AlO/O system. This work provides a new protocol for O activation and pollutant elimination through a novel bimetallic catalyst during water purification.