Role of oxygen vacancies and Sr sites in SrCo_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_3 perovskite on efficient activation of peroxymonosulfate towards the degradation of aqueous organic pollutants

Metal-based perovskite oxides have contributed significantly to the advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)due to their diverse active sites and excellent compositional/structural flexibility.In this study,we specially designed a perovskite oxide with abundant oxygen vacancies,SrCo_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3)(SCF),and firstly applied it as a catalyst in peroxymonosulfate(PMS) activation towards organic pollutants degradation.The result revealed that the prepared SCF catalyst exhibited excellent performance on organic compounds degradation.Besides,SCF showed much better activity than La_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3)(LSCF) in terms of reaction rate and stability for the degradation of the organic compounds.Based on the analysis of scanning electron microscope,transmission electron microscope,X-ray diffraction,N_(2) adsorption-desorption,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance,it was confirmed that the perovskite catalysts with high content of Sr doping at A-site could effectively create a defect-rich surface and optimize its physicochemical properties,which was responsible for the excellent heterogeneous catalytic activity of SCF.SCF can generate three highly active species:~1 O_(2),SO_(4)^(-)· and ·OH in PMS activation,revealing the degradation process of organic compounds was a coupled multiple active species in both radical and nonradical pathway.Moreover,it was mainly in a radical pathway in the degradation through PMS activation on SCF and SO_(4)^(-)· radicals produced were the dominant species in SCF/PMS system.This study demonstrated that perovskite-type catalysts could enrich OVs efficiently by doping strategy and regulate the PMS activation towards sulfate radical-based AOPs.