Neutral pH, multioxidants Fenton oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide and acetamidophenol as water pollutant models

Organic water pollution is calling for advanced remediation methods such as the Fenton process, yet actual procedures involve transition metals at acidic pH, and generate only one oxidant, the hydroxyl radical. Here we used a solution of magnesium ions, bicarbonate ions, and hydrogen peroxide at pH 7.4 to generate reactive oxygen species for degrading dimethyl sulfoxide and acetamidophenol, as models of water pollutants. The performance and the identification of degradation products were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-performance liquid chromatography. Results show the generation of several oxidizing agents such as hydroxyl radical, carbonate anion radical, and superoxide. The novel aspect is that the Fenton-like process can be achieved with Mg²⁺ serving only as a template to facilitate redox reactions rather than participating directly. The mechanisms for generating oxidizing radicals suggests potential applications in both environmental cleanup and biological processes.