Advanced Catalytic Peroxymonosulfate Activation via Zeolite-Supported Cu3Mn-Layered Double Hydroxide for Enhanced Oxidative Degradation of Bisphenol A (BPA)

The widespread presence of bisphenol A (BPA), a persistent endocrine-disrupting pollutant, in aquatic environments poses significant ecological and health risks, necessitating its effective removal. However, conventional remediation technologies are often hampered by catalysts with narrow pH adaptability and poor stability. In this study, a novel catalyst, Zeolite-supported Cu₃Mn-layered double hydroxide (LDH), was fabricated using the co-precipitation method. The synthesized catalyst was applied to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS), effectively enabling decomposition of BPA by advanced oxidation processes. The composite material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which confirmed the successful synthesis of the zeolite-supported Cu₃Mn-LDH. The catalyst exhibited high activity in both neutral and strongly alkaline environments, achieving complete degradation of 10 mg⋅L^-1 bisphenol A (BPA) within 40 min and a 98% total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate when both the PMS and catalyst were dosed at 0.15 g⋅L^-1. Singlet oxygen was detected as the primary reactive species responsible for BPA degradation, as verified by quenching experiments and EPR analysis, which also identified the presence of sulfate (SO₄^•-), hydroxyl (•OH), and superoxide (•O₂^-) radicals. The catalyst exhibited excellent reusability, maintaining high catalytic efficiency over two consecutive cycles with minimal performance loss. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed five intermediate products, enabling the proposal of potential BPA degradation pathways. This work not only presents a novel synthetic approach for zeolite-supported LDH composites, but also offers a promising strategy for the efficient removal of BPA from aqueous systems through AOPs.