ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Oxidative Degradation of Aniline
by Ferrate-Hydrogen Peroxide System:
Unveiling pH-Dependent Mechanisms
and Pathways
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1
Liming Vocational University, Quanzhou, 362000, China
2
Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia
3
School of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
Submission date: 2025-09-07
Final revision date: 2025-12-12
Acceptance date: 2025-12-28
Online publication date: 2026-02-26
Corresponding author
Feihu Zeng
Liming Vocational University, Quanzhou, 362000, China
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ABSTRACT
This study systematically investigated the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of aniline degradation
in a Ferrate (Fe(VI))-hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) system. The effects of key operational parameters,
including H₂O₂ dosage, initial pH (3-11), and reaction temperature (10-60ºC), were evaluated. Under
optimal conditions (10 mM Fe(VI), 176 mM H₂O₂, 30ºC, 30 min), high aniline removal efficiencies of
91±0.3% and 88±0.2% were achieved at pH 3.0 and 7.0, respectively. Radical quenching experiments
with tert-butanol, coupled with kinetic modeling, revealed a critical pH-dependent mechanistic
shift. Under acidic conditions (pH 3.0), the degradation followed pseudo-second-order kinetics
(kₐₚₚ = 0.03425 mM⁻¹·min⁻¹), with hydroxyl radicals (·OH) identified as a primary oxidizing species.
In contrast, under alkaline conditions, the process was dominated by high-valent iron species
(Fe(IV)/Fe(V)) and direct electron transfer by Fe(VI), adhering to pseudo-first-order kinetics
(maximum kₐₚₚ = 0.07319 min⁻¹). Fourteen intermediate products were identified via liquid
chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), leading to the proposal of four potential
degradation pathways. This work provides fundamental insights into the pH-dependent mechanisms
of the Fe(VI)/H₂O₂ system and proposes a promising, sustainable strategy for the treatment of
aniline-containing industrial wastewater.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.