Electron-rich CNTs modified FeOCl/Fe2O3 with improved Fenton catalytic performance

FeOCl and Fe2O3 Fenton-like catalysts have received much attention due to low cost and high catalytic activity. However, their potential application is significantly hindered by the sluggish reduction kinetics of Fe3+ to active Fe2+. Herein, we report a novel composite catalyst FeOCl/Fe2O3/CNTs with significantly improved catalytic performance. As a result, FeOCl/Fe2O3/CNTs can degrade 100% of MB (50 mg L−1) within 20 min at low dosage of H2O2 (0.6 mM) and the superior performance is almost independent of pH in the range of 3–9. In practical application, the assembled FeOCl/Fe2O3/CNTs membrane effectively degrades continuous MB flow. This study demonstrates that incorporating electron-rich materials such as CNTs is an effective way to enhance the performance of catalysts for heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction.