Work

Superoxide radical (·O₂⁻)–driven peroxymonosulfate activation via cation-deficient lanthanum ferrite perovskite oxides : Electronic structure modulation for high-efficiency estrogen degradation in dairy wastewater

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Estrogen is commonly found in dairy farm wastewater. The removal of estrogen from such wastewater has been widely explored. In this study, lanthanum ferrite perovskite oxides with La defects were synthesized using the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods for the efficient degradation of estrogen and other pollutants activated by persulfate (PMS). Hydrothermally synthesized La0.7FeO3 (H0.7-LFO/PMS) is tailored to produce a large amount of ·O₂⁻, achieving 100% degradation of β-E2 with an initial concentration of 2 mg/L within 60 minutes. The degradation rate constant k (0.07954 min−1) was 22.03 times that of S-LFO/PMS system. The H-0.7LFO/PMS system exhibited good degradation performance under various conditions such as the coexistence of multiple ions, humic acid substances, a wide range of pH and multiple reuses, indicating its excellent stability and reusability. The degradation rate of β-E2 in dairy farm wastewater by H-0.7LFO/PMS system was as high as 82.16%–99.25%, indicating its significant potential for practical applications. Characterization analysis revealed that La defects reduced the particle size and formed abundant pores within LFO, thereby increasing the number of catalytic active sites. The charge imbalance caused by La defects was compensated by charge transfer, which accelerated the charge transfer in the Fe (III)–Fe (II)–Fe (III) redox cycle and promoted the degradation of pollutants.

Source: Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials

DOI: 10.1007/s42114-025-01465-0