Efficient wastewater disinfection through FeOOH-mediated photo-Fenton reaction: A review

With industrialization, the need for the degradation of wastewater in the ecological environment is urgent and indisputable to ensure the sustainable development of natural organisms and human beings. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are unique because of their effectiveness in removing persistent organic contaminants and their eco-friendly treatment processes. Among many AOPs, the photo-Fenton system can promote the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycle through photocatalysis. It uses the energy provided by light to improve the catalytic activity and degradation efficiency, which largely solves the bottleneck of Fenton reaction development. FeOOH, a high-performance iron-based material, exhibits excellent optical properties and intrinsically possesses rich surface functional groups, enabling its mediation of photo-Fenton wastewater treatment. This paper reviews the progress of research on FeOOH-based catalysts for treating organic wastewater in the photo-Fenton process. It also explores the various crystalline phases of FeOOH and their properties. Additionally, we systematically analyze the modification strategies for FeOOH-mediated photo-Fenton from various perspectives, addressing the fundamental challenges they encounter. Lastly, we discuss existing issues in FeOOH-mediated photo-Fenton for organic wastewater treatment and outline future research directions. This paper will help to inspire more pioneering research on FeOOH-based catalysts and further facilitate the application of FeOOH-mediated photo-Fenton.