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Volume 16
Issue 9
10.3390/catal16090772
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Biochar-Supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activator for the Remediation of PAH-Contaminated Soil

by
Quanwei Song
1,
Qingwei Wang
1,
Yinan Song
1,
Xinyu Yuan
2,
Jin Zheng
1,
Huan Yang
2,
Zhengyang Huang
2,
Shenshen Sun
2,
Yufang Tao
2,* and
Jufeng Li
1,*
1
State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Pollutants Control, China National Petroleum Corporation Research Institute of Safety and Environment Technology, Beijing 102206, China
2
Hubei Engineering Research Centers for Clean Production and Pollution Control of Oil and Gas Fields, College of Chemistry & Environmental Engineering, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Catalysts 2026, 16(9), 772; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16090772
Submission received: 24 June 2026 / Revised: 17 August 2026 / Accepted: 24 August 2026 / Published: 26 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocatalysts for the Degradation of Refractory Pollutants, 2nd Edition)
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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in soils, and their inherent toxicity and persistence pose serious threats to terrestrial animals and plants. This study reports the synthesis of a biochar-supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite (Fe2O3/CoFe2O4@BC) as a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for the degradation of PAHs in contaminated soil. The one-step prepared Fe2O3/CoFe2O4@BC exhibits abundant nanoporous structures, with a specific surface area of 158.34 m2 g−1 and average pore size of 2.84 nm. Compared with pristine biochar (BC), Fe2O3/CoFe2O4@BC shows superior catalytic performance in activating PMS for the efficient degradation of seven kinds of 3–4 ring PAHs in soil. Based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis, electrochemical analysis and scavenger quenching experiments, the catalytic mechanism was elucidated, revealing that •OH, SO4•−, and electron transfer were primarily responsible for the degradation of phenanthrene (PHE) in soil. The presence of coexisting soil constituents, including Cl−, HCO3−, NO3− and humic acid (HA), was found to inhibit PHE degradation. Furthermore, plant growth experiments revealed that the Fe2O3/CoFe2O4@BC/PMS system effectively alleviated the ecotoxicity of PHE-contaminated soil. This work thus provides a promising nanocatalyst for PMS-mediated remediation of soil contaminated with refractory organic pollutants and offers a feasible strategy for the in situ chemical remediation of PAH-polluted soil.
Keywords: in-situ chemical oxidation; peroxymonosulfate; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; soil in-situ chemical oxidation; peroxymonosulfate; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; soil
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MDPI and ACS Style

Song, Q.; Wang, Q.; Song, Y.; Yuan, X.; Zheng, J.; Yang, H.; Huang, Z.; Sun, S.; Tao, Y.; Li, J. Biochar-Supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activator for the Remediation of PAH-Contaminated Soil. Catalysts 2026, 16, 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16090772

AMA Style

Song Q, Wang Q, Song Y, Yuan X, Zheng J, Yang H, Huang Z, Sun S, Tao Y, Li J. Biochar-Supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activator for the Remediation of PAH-Contaminated Soil. Catalysts. 2026; 16(9):772. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16090772

Chicago/Turabian Style

Song, Quanwei, Qingwei Wang, Yinan Song, Xinyu Yuan, Jin Zheng, Huan Yang, Zhengyang Huang, Shenshen Sun, Yufang Tao, and Jufeng Li. 2026. "Biochar-Supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activator for the Remediation of PAH-Contaminated Soil" Catalysts 16, no. 9: 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16090772

APA Style

Song, Q., Wang, Q., Song, Y., Yuan, X., Zheng, J., Yang, H., Huang, Z., Sun, S., Tao, Y., & Li, J. (2026). Biochar-Supported Fe2O3/CoFe2O4 Nanocomposite as an Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activator for the Remediation of PAH-Contaminated Soil. Catalysts, 16(9), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16090772

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