Synergistic activation of persulfate by Fe-based perovskite photocatalysis for alkali lignin degradation in pulp and paper wastewater.

A synergistic photocatalytic system based on Fe-based perovskite with persulfate was constructed for alkali lignin (AL) degradation in pulp and paper wastewater. The degradation performance and mechanism on AL were carried out under ambient temperature and pressure, accompanied by visible light irradiation. The results showed that the synergistic photocatalytic system exhibited much better performance on AL degradation than the single catalytic system. The degradation efficiency reached 73.5% under the optimal conditions and was constant at around 65% over the pH range from 2 to 8. A significant escalation of the AL degradation was observed at pH 10, reaching 80.1%. The photogenerated holes, O and SO·, generated by the system were involved in the degradation, and the holes played a dominant role. During the degradation process, the efficient promotion of cleavage events in lignin methoxy, β-O-4 bond, and benzene ring was observed. Consequently, the depolymerization process led to the generation of high-value compounds, namely p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin. Remarkably, the yields of the high-value compounds in the synergistic photocatalytic system were five times larger than those in the control. This study offered a viable method to activate persulfate for alkali lignin degradation and to achieve a mutually beneficial strategy for wastewater treatment and recycling.