Amorphous zirconium oxide activates peroxymonosulfate for selective degradation of organic compounds: Performance, mechanisms and structure-activity relationship

•ZrO2 with non-redox properties enabled highly-efficient peroxymonosulfate activation.•The activity of ZrO2 was 5.1–72.0 times higher than conventional redox-metal oxides.•The surface complexes were identified as the principal reactive species.•The density of surface hydroxyl groups governed the formation of surface complexes.