Abstract: In this work, a porous CoFe2O4/silica aerogel gel composite (SCF) with high specific surface area was successfully synthesized by using silica aerogel as CoFe2O4 carrier. The catalyst was systematically characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption desorption testing. The analysis shows that silica aerogel greatly alleviates the agglomeration of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, and the successful loading of CoFe2O4 enriches the pore structure of the composite while retaining the high specific surface area of silica aerogel. The optimized SCF-30 achieved a removal efficiency of 84.79% for 50 mg/L TC solution after PMS activation with low loading amount. Through quenching experiments, SO4??, 1O2, and ?O2? were identified as the main active substances in the catalytic reaction, and possible reaction mechanisms and degradation pathways were speculated. In addition, composite materials exhibit excellent stability and pH tolerance. This work provides insights into the design and fabrication of highly stable persulfate-activating materials.

Key words: Silica Aerogel, Ferrite, Peroxymonosulfate, Tetracycline; Advanced oxidation processes