A novel N-doped porous carbon derived from PET fiber waste for efficient peroxydisulfate-activated degradation of BPA

Abstract

A nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous carbon (MPC-N) was synthesized from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber waste via a facile and eco-friendly strategy. PET fibers were pretreated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-ethanol solution containing tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) to form a carbon precursor, followed by pyrolysis at 700 °C under N₂. The resulting MPC-N exhibited a high specific surface area (427.01 m²/g) and abundant nitrogen/oxygen functional groups, enabling efficient activation of peroxydisulfate (PS) for rapid degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). In the MPC-N/PS system, 20 mg/L BPA was completely degraded within 10 min, with minimal interference from inorganic ions or natural organic matter. This work provides a dual solution to plastic waste recycling and organic pollutant remediation.