Ofloxacin degradation over Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts by the microwave assisted persulfate process

In this study, the degradation of ofloxacin (OFX)over Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts by the microwave assisted persulfate process was examined for the first time. The results showed that the Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts dramatically improved OFX decay efficiency. The optimal reaction conditions were the Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalysts of 2.0 g/L and the persulfate dosage of 12.0 g/L under microwave power of 400 W at 60 °C. The OFX conversion and total organic carbon (TOC)removal reached 95.8% and 87.6%, respectively, after 60 min catalytic oxidation under optimal conditions. To identify the properties of Cu–Ce tyre carbon catalyst, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)and the ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis)diffuse reflectance spectra studies have been carried out. Eleven kinds of degradation products and five pathways during degradation process of OFX and degradation products were identified by GC–MS and HRMS.