Hollow-architected Co3O4 for enhancing Oxone activation to eliminate an anesthetic, benzocaine, from water: A structure-property investigation with degradation pathway and eco-toxicity.

• Hollow-architected fluffy cubic Co 3 O 4 (HFCC) is derived from carving cubic CoMOF. • HFCC shows more superior electrochemistry than the solid cubic Co 3 O 4 (SCC). • HFCC exhibits more active surfaces than SCC for activating oxone to degrade BZC. • DFT calculation is performed to elucidate degradation process of BZC by HFCC. • Eco-toxicity of BZC degradation intermediates is evaluated to study implication. As the most widely-used oral anesthetic, benzocaine (BZC), is increasingly detected in municipal wastewater and regarded as an emerging contaminant. Thus, it would be highly imperative to develop useful methods to eliminate BZC from water. However, very few studies have been ever reported, and only photocatalysis of BZC was attempted. Therefore, this present study aims to be the first study of developing the sulfate-radical-based chemical oxidation technology (SR-COT) for degrading BZC. For establishing a useful SR-COT, the oxidant, Oxone, is then adopted and a facile nanostructured Co 3 O 4 is then developed for maximizing catalytic activities of Oxone activation by creating a hollow fluffy Co 3 O 4 nanostructure using CoMOF as a template, followed by a carving-architected treatment to afford the hollow fluffy Co 3 O 4 (HFCC). In comparison to the solid (non-hollow) Co 3 O 4 (SCC), HFCC possesses not only the excellent textural properties, but also superior electrochemical properties and highly reactive surfaces, making HFCC exhibit the significantly higher catalytic activity than SCC as well as traditional Co 3 O 4 nanoparticle in activating Oxone to degrade BZC. The density function theory calculation is performed to investigate the degradation pathway, and the corresponding eco-toxicity is also studied to realize the degradation implication of BZC by HFCC-activated Oxone. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]