Comparative periodate/peroxydisulfate‐induced catalytic degradation of C ongo red by CuS / AC catalyst and its composite membrane with polysulfone

Abstract

Abstract The rational design of high‐performance, self‐cleaning catalytic membranes is critical for overcoming severe fouling and mass‐transfer limitations in wastewater treatment. This study reports the successful synthesis of a CuS/activated carbon (CuS/AC) composite and its integration into polysulfone (PSf) to form a dual‐functional 50%CuS/AC/PSf catalytic membrane. Material characterizations (SEM, EDS, FTIR, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), TGA, zeta potential) revealed that the AC effectively suppressed the aggregation of CuS nanoparticles. This structural optimization yielded a high specific surface area (254.66 m 2 /g) with a hierarchical micro‐mesoporous network, while shifting the zeta potential from −10.2 to −2.6 mV, reducing electrostatic repulsion and maximizing active site exposure. Consequently, the composite exhibited a strong preliminary adsorption capacity (47.1% for 60 mg/L Congo red (CR)). For catalytic degradation, persulfate (PS) activation by 50%CuS/AC powder achieved a CR degradation efficiency of 97.2% within 120 min. At low CuS loading, the PS‐activated system exhibited better catalytic performance compared to the periodate (PI) system. Trapping tests confirmed a radical pathway in the PS system, while the PI system relied on a non‐radical ( 1 O 2 ) mechanism. The powder catalyst also demonstrated excellent reusability, retaining ~95% efficiency over three cycles. For catalytic membranes, the 50%CuS/AC/PSf not only doubled the pure water flux (41.1 L/m 2 h) compared to the pristine PSf but also maintained a robust CR removal efficiency of 82.1%–91.6% across three filtration cycles. This synergistic coupling of physical sieving and in situ advanced oxidation highlights the 50%CuS/AC/PSf membrane as a potential self‐cleaning technology for industrial effluent remediation.