Deep mineralization of VOCs in an embedded hybrid structure CoFe₂O₄/MoS₂/PMS wet scrubber system

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based advanced oxidation processes in liquid phase systems can actively degrade toluene. In this work, the catechol structural surfactant was introduced to synthesize the dispersed and homogeneous CoFe₂O₄ nanospheres and embedded into MoS₂ nanoflowers to form magnetically separable heterojunction catalysts. The innovative approach effectively mitigated the traditionally low reduction efficiency of transition metal ions during the heterogeneous activation process. In CoFe₂O₄/MoS₂/PMS system, the toluene removal efficiency remained 95% within 2 h. The contribution of SO₄^⋅-, ·O₂^-, ·OH, and ¹O₂ was revealed by radical quenching experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results illustrated that MoS₂ offers ample reduction sites for facilitating PMS activation via Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ redox interactions. Furthermore, an investigation into the toluene degradation pathway within the CoFe₂O₄/MoS₂/PMS system revealed its capability to suppress the formation of toxic byproducts. This ambient-temperature liquid-phase method presented promising route for the removal of industrial volatile organic pollutants.