Simple Hydrothermal Synthesis of ZnCoCe Layered Double Hydroxide as Peroxymonosulfate Activator Towards Enhanced Degradation of Rhodamine B

Constructing high-performance catalytic materials for addressing dye wastewater pollution is of great significance. In this study, a ternary layered double hydroxide containing Zn, Co, and Ce elements (ZnCoCe-LDH) was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal procedure. The fabricated nanocomposites exhibited a uniform distribution of Zn, Co and Ce on the matrix. The degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB, 50 mg/L) in the peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-containing catalytic system reached up to 97.96% at a dosage of 0.05 g/L ZnCoCe-LDH and 0.2 mmol/L PMS with a reaction time of 10 min at 25 °C, the corresponding kinetic rate constant was 0.411 min−1. The excellent activity of the catalyst could be attributed to the synergistic effect among Zn, Co, and Ce. Furthermore, ZnCoCe-LDH exhibited a wide range of pH (4.0–8.0) tolerance, resistance to background ion and humic acid interference, and high stability and recyclability. The experimental and characterization results indicate that the redox cycling between Co2+/Co3+ and Ce3+/Ce4+ enables PMS activation, and singlet oxygen (1O2) was the primary reactive species toward the degradation of RhB. Therefore, this work provides a facile and cost-effective strategy for the design and fabrication of nanocomposites for water treatment.