Cu/Co Bimetallic Carbon Catalyst as a Highly Efficient Promoter for Reactive Dyes Degradation with PMS

The synergistic effect between bimetallic catalysts has been confirmed as an effective method for activating persulfate (PMS). Therefore, we immobilized copper-cobalt on chitosan to prepare bimetallic carbon catalysts for PMS activation and degradation of reactive dyes. Experimental results demonstrate that the CuCo-CTs/PMS catalytic degradation system exhibits excellent degradation performance toward various types of reactive dyes (e.g., Ethyl violet, Chlortalidone, and Di chlorotriazine), with degradation rates reaching 90% within 30 min. CuCo-CTs exhibit high catalytic activity over a wide pH range of 3-11 at room temperature and under static conditions, degrading over 92% of RV5 within 60 min. ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and color changes in the dye solution confirm the effective degradation of RV5, with a degradation rate of 97.2% within 10 min. Additionally, CuCo-CTs demonstrate good stability and reusability, maintaining a degradation rate of 92.8% after eight cycles. Kinetic studies indicate that the degradation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Furthermore, based on the results of radical scavenging experiments, the catalytic degradation mechanism of the dye involves both radical and nonradical pathways, with ¹O₂ identified as the primary active species. This study provides insights and experimental evidence for the application of persulfate oxidation in the treatment of dyeing wastewater.