Cellulose-rich waste-pulp-derived Fe/N-doped core-shell magnetic carbon for peroxymonosulfate activation and...

To achieve the high-value resource recycling of cellulose-rich solid waste and the remediation of persistent antibiotic-contaminated water, a novel core-shell structured magnetic porous material was fabricated using waste paper pulp (WPP) cellulose as the natural biocarbon skeleton and structural regulatory modifier, and warm pad residue (WPR) as a low-cost iron source. The inherent interwoven cellulose network of waste paper pulp effectively inhibited the agglomeration and overgrowth of iron nanoparticles by providing a dispersion scaffold and surface interaction sites, which induced the in-situ construction of a graphitic‑carbon-encapsulated Fe-based core-shell architecture. The as-prepared material possessed a hierarchical porous structure, abundant defect active sites, and robust structural stability. Under the optimal conditions of 0.15 g L^-1 material and 0.15 g L^-1 peroxymonosulfate (PMS), the optimized WPW_0.4N₃-700 achieved 99.9% degradation efficiency of oxytetracycline (OTC). Furthermore, the material demonstrated wide pH tolerance, significant resistance to coexisting substances, good reusability, and broad catalytic performance. Quenching experiments and EPR analysis indicated that SO₄^•-, •OH, and ¹O₂ served as the major reactive oxygen species involved in the catalytic reaction under the investigated conditions. The uniquely stable core-shell microstructure derived from WPP cellulose contributed to the suppression of iron leaching and the acceleration of interfacial electron transfer. This work highlights the potential of waste paper pulp cellulose in designing and constructing biomass-derived core-shell porous materials, and provides a facile and sustainable route for the high-value utilization of cellulose-rich solid waste.