Efficient Peroxymonosulfate Activation by N-Rich Pyridyl-Iron Phthalocyanine Derivative for the Elimination of Pharmaceutical Contaminants Under Solar Irradiation

The change of the outer ring structure of iron phthalocyanine is of great significance for improving its electron transmission performance. Herein, 4 (pyridine-2, 3-yl) iron phthalocyanine (FepyPc), as N-rich pyridyl-iron phthalocyanine derivative, was introduced to degrade pharmaceutical contaminants. The catalytic degradation of organic pollutants with FepyPc was studied by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) at room temperature. The results clarified that the removal rate of carbamazepine (CBZ) was close to 100% within 60 min and the calculated apparent rate constant was about 2 times larger than FePc, which proved that FepyPc had superior performance. Four active species were identified for the degradation of CBZ, including superoxide radical (•O 2 − ), singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), sulfate radical (SO 4 • − ) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). In addition, the possible reaction mechanism of FepyPc/PMS/sunlight system for CBZ removal was inferred. Finally, the CBZ degradation pathway was proposed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and high definition mass spectrometry (UPLC/HDMS). This research provided a meaningful and efficient method for the elimination of pharmaceutical contaminants