Role of Borate Buffer in Organic Degradation by Peroxymonosulfate in the Presence of Metal Oxides

The effects of borate ions on the reactivity of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) during organic degradation in the presence of metal oxides were examined. The metal oxides exhibited catalytic abilities for the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) but not for phenol (PN). Scavenging experiments revealed the absence of radical generation during PN degradation in the presence of the various metal oxides and borate buffer. This indicated that the borate buffer hindered the catalytic abilities of the metal oxides for producing radicals via the PMS oxidant, especially during the faster degradation of compounds such as PN. Various concentrations of borate ions were assessed for enabling pH control and permitting catalytic activity. Fe2O3 was found to accelerate and inhibit PN degradation at borate-ion concentrations of 2 mM and 5–20 mM, respectively. Only the 20 mM borate-ion solutions were successful at maintaining the initial pH for 2 d. Phosphate buffer, which was examined as an alternative, also disrupted radical formation but not as considerably as that of the borate ions with metal oxides. This study demonstrates the significance of enabling pH control and permitting the catalytic activity for ensuring the effective use of oxyanions as buffers.