Design of the low-cost and environmentally friendly catalyst for advanced oxidation processes is highly desired in environmental remediation. Herein, a flower-like CuFe2O4 nanostructure is synthesized by a self-templating method for the first time and used for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degrade carbamazepine (CBZ). The catalytic performance of the flower-like CuFe2O4 is much higher than that of the other CuFe2O4 structures (nanoparticles, bulk, and sphere). 90% of CBZ (10 mg/L) can be degraded by adding 0.1 g/L of CuFe2O4-16-350 and 0.2 g/L PMS, and 50% of TOC got removed in 120 min. After five consecutive cycles, the CBZ removal efficiency by the flower-like CuFe2O4 still remains at 66%. Kinetic behavior of CBZ degradation follows the pseudo-first-order reaction model, and the reaction rate constant value of the flower-like CuFe2O4 is 3.7 times higher than that of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles. The structure-dependent catalytic activity of CuFe2O4 catalysts is investigated by experiments and characterizations such as BET, XPS, and H-2-TPR. The results show that the excellent catalytic performance of the flower-like CuFe2O4 is mainly attributed to the strong interaction of dual metal species in it apart from its high specific surface area and large pore volume. A reasonable mechanism of PMS activation is established on the basis of the characterizations of catalyst, radical determination, and the identification of intermediates. This work provides a novel strategy to develop a highly efficient and stable spinel catalyst for pollutant degradation through PMS activation.
