Biomass-based carbon fiber/MOFs composite electrode for electro-Fenton degradation of TBBPA

•The biomass-based carbon fiber/MOFs cathode was synthesize for EF process.•MOFs/CF electrode can produce •OH to degrade TBBPA.•Degradation and TOC removal efficiency reached 99% and 80%, respectively.•Degradation mechanisms of TBBPA were investigated. A biomass-based carbon fiber/metal–organic frameworks (MOFs/CF) electrode, with excellent electro-catalytic activity, was used for design the electro-Fenton (EF) process. The carbon fiber membrane (CF) was prepared from regenerated cotton fiber membrane through carbonization, and the MOFs were successfully introduced on the surface of the CF by the solvothermal method to obtain MOFs/CF electrode. Through the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the continuous on-site generation of H2O2 was achieved over the MOFs/CF electrode. Moreover, the MOFs could efficiently catalyse H2O2 to form hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which can degrade organic pollutants in the EF process. Excellent electrocatalytic performance was exhibited when the electrode was applied to degrade tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA). The total organic carbon removal efficiency for TBBPA reached 80% in 240 min, which demonstrated TBBPA was also rapidly mineralized by the constructed EF system.