Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
![[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F59739.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
[(DPEPhos)(bcp)Cu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
Published on: May 21, 2019
Carbon nitride supported copper catalyst activating peroxydisulfate for efficient paracetamol degradation
Nan Huang1, Ya-Lan Xu2, Wen-Long Wang2
1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
None:
The heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction with peroxydisulfate (PDS) is a highly promising technology for the degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). It does not require a light or heat source, has a broader pH applicability, and does not cause secondary pollution or catalyst loss. In this study, we synthesized a highly dispersed Cu-doped graphitic carbon nitride catalyst (Cu/C3N4). Catalyst characterization results confirmed that the main pore size ranged from 0 to 4 nm, and Cu(I) and Cu(II) were highly uniformly dispersed onto the graphitic carbon nitride matrix. The Cu/C3N4 catalyst exhibited superior performance in activating PDS for paracetamol degradation under neutral pH conditions, achieving a catalytic efficiency of 7.82 L/(min·g-Cu). No obvious decrease in the paracetamol removal rate was observed over the eight successive cycles, indicating extraordinary reusability of the Cu/C3N4 catalyst. The removal efficiency of paracetamol in secondary effluent and river water was inhibited due to the influence of inorganic ions and organic matter, but approximately 80 % paracetamol removal was still achieved in actual waters within 30 min. Radical quenching and electron spin-resonance spectroscopy results indicated that radical pathways (mainly SO4•-) and nonradical pathways (singlet oxygen and mediated electron transfer) were the main degradation mechanisms. The transformational products identified by HPLC-QTOF-MS were mainly p-nitrophenol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, butanediol, and glycerol. This study provides insights into the performance and mechanisms of Cu/C3N4/PDS oxidation for paracetamol degradation, highlighting its potential for PPCPs removal and sustainable water reclamation.
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Catalysis
meta-Directing Deactivators: –NO2, –CN, –CHO, –⁠CO2R, –COR, –CO2H
ortho–para-Directing Activators: –CH3, –OH, –⁠NH2, –OCH3
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...

