Enhanced Peroxydisulfate Activation via Fe-Doped BiOBr for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Paracetamol

Fe-doped BiOBr nanomaterials with varying Fe concentrations were synthesized using a solvothermal method. Paracetamol (APAP) was selected as the target pollutant to evaluate the visible-light-driven peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation performance of the prepared catalysts. Among all samples, 5% Fe-doped BiOBr (5% Fe-BOB) exhibited the highest catalytic efficiency, which can completely degrade APAP in 30 min under visible light irradiation. The degradation kinetics of APAP, PDS consumption, and the dominant reactive species in the 5% Fe-BOB/PDS/visible light system were systematically investigated. Results revealed that both photocatalyst dosage and PDS concentration significantly influenced activation efficiency. The primary active species responsible for APAP degradation were identified as photogenerated holes (h⁺) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂). Furthermore, cycling tests and control experiments confirmed that the 5% Fe-BOB/PDS/visible light system maintained high stability and effectively degraded APAP across a wide pH range. This work provides an efficient and stable photocatalytic system for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment through PDS-based advanced oxidation processes.