Efficient Activation of Peroxymonosulfate to Produce Singlet Oxygen (¹O₂) for Degradation of Tetracycline over Cu-Co Nanocomposite Catalyst

The application of Co₃O₄ in activated PMS degradation of organic pollutants has been widely concerned. Due to the limited catalytic performance of pure cobalt catalyst, a novel Cu-Co nanocomposite catalyst was synthesized in this paper for activating PMS to degrade tetracycline (TC). After a small amount of copper was introduced, Cu-Co nanocomposite displayed significant heterogeneous catalytic activity in the activation of PMS. Efficient and rapid degradation of TC was achieved under various pH conditions in the Cu-Co nanocomposite/PMS catalytic system. The generation of a large number of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) is the dominant factor in TC degradation. This study improved the practicality of the PMS activation system across various environmental conditions. Cu-Co nanocomposites exhibit exceptional catalytic properties, rendering them promising catalysts for practical applications.