Organic contaminants degradation by modification carbon felt derived from Mn, Fe layered double hydroxide cathode

The traditional electro-Fenton (EF) process faced significant challenges, including a narrow pH range and poor catalyst reusability. The heterogeneous electro-Fenton (EF) process was a promising wastewater treatment technology because it generated H2O2 in situ and operated over a wide pH range without producing metal sludge. In this study, Mn-Fe layered double hydroxide (MnFe-LDH) electrodes were fabricated on carbon felt by an in situ hydrothermal method and were applied as cathodes for the heterogeneous electro-Fenton process to degrade organic pollutants, including antibiotics (oxytetracycline, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin) and tartrazine dye. The surface morphology and structure of the catalyst were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and contact angle measurements. The results showed that 58.45–96.01% of the pollutants were decomposed under natural pH conditions after 120 minutes at a current intensity of 24 mA, pollutant concentration of 10 mg/L, and 50 mM Na2SO4 as the electrolyte. The MnFe-LDH/CF cathode demonstrated high durability and reusability. It could be applied in the electro-Fenton process to remove organic pollutants that were difficult to biodegrade in aqueous environments.