MOF-templated synthesis of Zn_xCo_1-xS nanocubes for efficient degradation of dyes by peroxymonosulfate activation

In this work, ZnxCo1-xS nanocubes were synthesized and templated by bimetallic metal organic framework (MOF), which showed highly efficient degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The structure and surface characterization were subsequently analyzed by FESEM, XRD, BET and XPS, identifying the successful synthesis of Zn0.76Co0.24S. The best properties were obtained when equal mass of TAA and CoZn-ZIFs were employed, the three dyes, MB, RhB, and MO, reached more than 99.9% degradation efficiency within 10 min after activation by PMS. The catalytic mechanism was further elucidated by ESR tests and radical trapping experiments. Abundant S vacancies were discovered in Zn0.76Co0.24S nanocubes, which would highly promote the catalytic activities. It was proved that S vacancies, O-1(2) and O-center dot(2)- played important roles in the PMS activated degradation process. Above all, this study provided a new strategy to synthesize MOF-templated ZnxCo1-xS with optimized TAA dosage, which showed promising application on water treatment aspects.