Visible light-driven activation of peroxymonosulfate by tubular O, S co-doped g-C3N4 for efficient aflatoxin B1 degradation in edible oils.

Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination in edible oils poses severe food safety threats, with traditional photocatalysis hindered by insufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) precursors in lipid matrices. This study integrates tubular O, S co-doped g-C3N4 (OSTCN) photocatalysis into edible oil water-washing, in the simulated dual-phase systems, OSTCN activates peroxymonosulfate (PMS) under visible light to generate ROS, achieving complete degradation of oil-phase migrated parent AFB1 within 120 min while maintaining oil quality within acceptable thresholds. Combined evidence reveals that the tubular structure enhances light harvesting, while O, S co-doping creates electron donor-acceptor sites that strengthen PMS adsorption and electron transfer, reducing activation barriers and conferring 6.57-fold higher activity than pristine g-C3N4. Fukui index-guided LC-MS identified three degradation pathways, with cellular assays and quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis confirming significant reduction in toxicity effects. This work overcomes photocatalytic limitations in lipid systems, establishing a practical paradigm for food contaminant removal.