A comprehensive study on the heterogeneous electro-Fenton degradation of tartrazine in water using CoFe2O4/carbon felt cathode

In this study, cobalt ferrite coated carbon felt (CoFe2O4/CF) was synthesized by solvothermal method and applied as cathode for electro-Fenton (EF) treatment of tartrazine (TTZ) in water. The materials were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, CV, and EIS to explore their physical, chemical, and electrical properties. The effects of solvothermal temperature and metal content on the TTZ removal were examined, showing that 220 °C with 2 mM of Co and 4 mM of Fe precursors were the best synthesis condition. Various influencing factors such as applied current density, pH, TTZ concentration, and electrolytes were investigated, and the optimal condition was found at 8.33 mA cm−2, pH 3, 50 mgTTZ L−1, and 50 mM of Na2SO4, respectively. By radical quenching test, , 1O2, and HO were recognized as the key reactive oxygen species and the reaction mechanism was proposed for the EF decolorization of TTZ using CoFe2O4/CF cathode. The reusability and stability test showed that the highly efficient CoFe2O4/CF cathode is very promising for practical application in wastewater treatment, especially for dyes and other recalcitrant organic compounds to improve its biodegradability.