Magnetically recoverable Fe₃O₄@polydopamine nanocomposite as an excellent co-catalyst for Fe³⁺ reduction in advanced oxidation processes

Advanced oxidation processes are widely applied to removal of persistent toxic substances from wastewater by hydroxyl radicals (·OH), which is generated from hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) decomposition. However, their practical applications have been hampered by many strict conditions, such as iron sludge, rigid pH condition, large doses of hydrogen peroxide and Fe²⁺, etc. Herein, a magnetically recyclable Fe₃O₄@polydopamine (Fe₃O₄@PDA) core-shell nanocomposite was fabricated. As an excellent reducing agent, it can convert Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺. Combined with the coordination of polydopamine and ferric ions, the production of iron sludge is inhibited. The minimum concentration of hydrogen peroxide (0.2 mmol/L and Fe²⁺ (0.18 mmol/L)) is 150-fold and 100-fold lower than that of previous reports, respectively. It also exhibits excellent degradation performance over a wide pH range from 3.0 to 9.0. Even after the tenth recycling, it still achieves over 99% degradation efficiency with the total organic carbon degradation rate of 80%, which is environmentally benign and has a large economic advantage. This discovery paves a way for extensive practical application of advanced oxidation processes, especially in environmental remediation.