Catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate using CeVO4 for phenol degradation: An insight into the reaction pathway

[Display omitted] •Cerium vanadate nanostructures was prepared by simple one-pot co-precipitation method.•The nanostructures resulted in complete degradation of 100 ppm phenol in 80 min via activation of PMS.•The degradation followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics model with high R2 value and low activation energy of 23.74 kJ/mol.•The nanostructures were tested for recyclability up to 5 cycles and displayed excellent recyclability and reusability.•The mechanistic study revealed that non radical pathway via 1O2 mediated activation of PMS govern the catalytic activity. In this study, a nanostructured CeVO4 material was synthesized using a simple co-precipitation technique and investigated as a catalyst for phenol degradation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The structural and morphological properties of the CeVO4 catalyst were characterized using XRD, XPS, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, SEM, and TEM. The results indicated that the prepared catalyst exhibited a pure crystalline phase with a rod-like structure. The CeVO4 catalyst exhibited high activity towards PMS activation, resulting in complete degradation of phenol within the first 80 min at room temperature. The degradation reaction was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics with a low activation energy of 23.74 kJ/mol. The degradation followed a catalytic surface-mediated electron transfer route as confirmed using ESR measurements. The effects of several experimental parameters on phenol degradation were investigated, including the catalyst loading, initial phenol concentration, PMS dosage, reaction temperature, and pH. The regeneration and reusability of the CeVO4 catalyst were also examined for 5 consecutive cycles. This study puts forward CeVO4 as a heterogeneous catalyst for the complete removal of persistent organic pollutants via PMS activation, indicating a favorable application in wastewater treatment.