Peroxymonosulfate Activation by BaTiO3 Piezocatalyst

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) plays an important role in the advanced oxidation process for environmental remediation. In this study, barium titanate (BTO) piezocatalyst was selected for the activation of PMS driven by ultrasonic power. The degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) by BTO single component, PMS single component, and BTO/PMS double components were investigated. The results indicated that PMS can be efficiently activated by BTO under an ultrasound with an RhB degradation rate of 98% within 20 min. The ultrasound not only promoted the activation of the PMS itself, but the surface charge carriers of BTO induced by the ultrasound also contributed to the activation of PMS. ·O2−, ·OH, and ·SO4− radicals were found to be the main active species that participated in the reaction. In order to verify the reaction’s environmental applicability, amoxicillin (AMX) as a typical environmental pollutant was studied. BTO/PMS displayed 80% removal efficiency of AMX, and the products generated were less toxic as demonstrated by eco-toxicity comparison. This work provides a promising strategy to improve the utilization of ultrasonic energy and apply it to the field of environmental pollutants treatment.