Recently, reactive cobalt (Co) species, including Co(IV)-oxo
and
Co(II)-OOSO3
– complexes, were proposed
to be the primary intermediates formed during the process of activating
peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by Co(II), mainly based on the observation
that the methyl phenyl sulfoxide (MPSO) probe was transformed to methyl
phenyl sulfone (MPSO2) in this process. However, in this
work, we rationalized the results of the MPSO probe assay based on
the chemistry of aqueous Co(III), an alternative reactive Co species.
Moreover, 18O-labeled water experiments and Raman spectroscopy
analysis clearly proved the Co(III) formation in the Co(II)/PMS system.
In parallel, sulfate radicals (SO4
•–) and hydroxyl radicals (HO•) were also involved
in this system. Further, the relative contribution of Co(III) to the
abatement of carbamazepine (CBZ), a representative micropollutant,
in the Co(II)/PMS system was significantly increased by increasing
the Co(II) dosage but was dramatically decreased by improving the
PMS dosage and increasing the pH from 3 to 7. Additionally, the degradation
pathway of CBZ by Co(III) and the Co(II)/PMS system was comparatively
explored, confirming that Co(III) participated in the hydroxylation,
carbonylation, deacetylation, and ring reduction of CBZ by the Co(II)/PMS
system. Our work addresses the controversy regarding the reactive
Co species involved in the Co(II)/PMS system with evidence of Co(III)
as the chief one, which highlights the significance of re-evaluating
the relative contribution of Co(III) in relevant environmental decontamination
processes.