Efficient reactivity of LaCu0.5Co0.5O3 perovskite intercalated montmorillonite and g-C3N4 nanocomposites in microwave-induced H2O2 catalytic degradation of bisphenol A

Abstract A series of new layered composite catalysts LaCu0.5Co0.5O3-MMT0.2/CNx (x = 0.025, 0.075, 0.125) were prepared by montmorillonite (MMT) and g-C3N4 (CN) in situ intercalation of B-site double perovskite. The experimental results showed that the appropriate MMT and CN loading of LaCu0.5Co0.5O3-MMT0.2/CN0.075 were beneficial to the increase of catalytic performance because of perovskites were evenly distributed between the layers of MMT and CN and effectively avoided the loss of active components. The sample had a smaller particle size distribution, a larger specific surface, a higher ratio of Oads/Olatt and excellent microwave absorption capabilities. The removal rate reached 98.7% in 6 min under optimal conditions with catalyst dosage of 9.5 g/L, H2O2 dosage of 350 μL, pH of 4, MW power of 500 W, and bisphenol A (BPA) concentration of 50 mg/L. LCCOM0.2/CN0.075 also showed good reusability with a degradation efficiency of 95.7% even after the 5th cycle. And the microwave-catalyzed degradation followed pseudo first-order kinetics. Combining relevant characterization and experimental results of free radical capture, possible reaction mechanisms were discussed. The surface active sites of the catalyst can be excited by microwaves to produce oxidized free radicals, thereby degrading bisphenol A through electron-hole transport.