Transforming diapers into inorganic carbonate enriched Carbon catalyst for improved trimethoprim degradation performance

Waste-derived carbon materials are gaining popularity in persulfate/peroxymonosulfate activated water remediation process. In the present study, a carbon catalyst was prepared from baby diaper through simple pyrolysis step, and its catalytic activity was assessed through PMS activated trimethoprim (TMP) degradation. X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic characterization results revealed that the synthesized carbon material is complemented with sodium carbonate inorganic salt. The catalyst derived from diaper exhibits two important characteristics that make it practically applicable. Firstly, it has a high efficiency for removing TMP, and secondly, it maintains an ecological pH (7.5) level even after undergoing oxidation. Electron spin resonance and scavenging studies showed singlet oxygen was the predominant reactive oxygen species in the system. As a result, the system exhibited high tolerance to commonly found inorganic anions in the water bodies. These features make the diaper derived carbon catalysts a promising candidate for the degradation of TMP from wastewater, also providing an alternative solution for mitigating pollution of diapers in landfills.