A classic carbon material—expanded graphite (EG), was prepared and proposed for a new application as catalysts for activating peroxydisulfate (PDS). EG samples prepared at different expansion temperatures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and other methods. It was observed that there existed a remarkable synergistic effect in the EG/PDS combined system to degrade Acid Red 97 (AR97). Unlike other carbon material catalysts, sp2 carbon structure may be the main active site in the catalytic reaction. The EG sample treated at 600 °C demonstrated the best catalytic activity for the activation of PDS. Degradation efficiency of AR97 increased with raising PDS dosage and EG loadings. The pH of aqueous solution played an important role in degradation and adsorption, and near-neutrality was the optimal pH in this research. It was assumed that the radical pathway played a dominant role in AR97 degradation and that oxidation of AR97 occurred in the pores and interface layer on the external surface of EG by SO4·− and ·OH, generated on or near the surface of EG. The radical oxidation mechanism was further confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The EG sample could be regenerated by annealing, and the catalytic ability was almost fully recovered.

A central composite factorial design methodology was employed to optimize the degradation of naproxen (NPX) by the combination of Fenton reagent and ultrasound (US) irradiation. In this study, the variables considered for the process optimization were the hydrogen peroxide, ferrous ion and NPX initial concentrations, while ultrasonic power amplitude was adjusted at 90% and initial pH was 3. An appropriate quadratic model was developed in order to plot the response surface and contour curves. Optimum dosage of Fenton reagent for NPX removal was found to be hydrogen peroxide concentration = 9.98 mmol L⁻¹, ferrous ion concentration = 4.83 mg L⁻¹ while NPX concentration was equal to 20 mg L⁻¹. A degradation efficiency of 100% was achieved within 10 min under US.

Ultrasonic degradation is one of the recent advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and proven to be effective for removing low-concentration organic pollutants from aqueous solutions. In this study, removal of fuchsin basic from aqueous solutions by ultrasound was investigated. The effects of operating parameters such as ultrasound power (200 W–500 W), initial pH (3–6.5), and temperature (15, 22, 35, and 60°C) on the ultrasonic degradation were studied. The degradation of fuchsin under ultrasound irradiation basic was found to obey pseudo first-order reaction kinetics. Addition of catalyst Fe(II) had a markedly positive effect on degradation. 84.1% extent of degradation was achieved at initial dye concentration 10 μmol L−1, ultrasound power 400 W, ultrasound frequency 25 kHz, dosage of Fe(II) 4 mg L−1, initial pH 6.5, and temperature 22°C. But addition of heterogeneous catalyst TiO2affected degradation slightly. Addition of radical scavenger suppressed fuchsin basic degradation significantly.