Researchers have made a discovery in the field of water pollution control. They have developed a new technique that uses single atom catalysts (SACs) in a Fenton-like catalytic system that significantly improves the efficiency of pollutant removal in water. Their results were published in the journal Nature communicationThe researchers come from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study.

Single-atom catalysts are tiny, powerful tools in chemical reactions that can help purify water by breaking down harmful pollutants. However, their efficiency has been limited by the slow movement of reactants to the surface of the catalyst and the large amount of oxidants required. Previous research attributed efficiency improvements in nano-concentrated SACs to the enrichment of pollutants and oxidants at the surface. However, the exact mechanisms were not fully understood.

The research team discovered that by encasing these catalysts in tiny, nanometer-sized pores in silica particles, they could dramatically speed up the reaction and use oxidants more efficiently. Their experiments showed that in addition to the local enrichment of reactants, the catalytic process itself changed. Instead of using singlet oxygen (a reactive form of oxygen), the reaction switched to a direct electron transfer process that breaks down pollutants much more efficiently.

This new method increased the pollutant removal rate by an astonishing 34.7 times compared to conventional methods. The efficiency of oxidant utilization also improved significantly, from 61.8% to 96.6%. The system proved to be extremely effective in degrading various electron-rich phenolic compounds, demonstrated robustness under various environmental conditions, and showed high performance in tests with real seawater.

This research provides a deeper understanding of how nano-concentrated catalysts work and opens new opportunities for the development of low-carbon, efficient water treatment technologies. It offers a promising direction for further innovations in advanced oxidation processes and other applications in environmental science.