Iron-doped cuprous oxides toward accelerated nonradical oxidation: Doping induced controlled facet transformation and optimized electronic structure

In this study, transition metal-doped and morphology controlled cuprous oxides were synthesized through a facile route and evaluated for bisphenol A (BPA, a model endocrine-disrupting compound) degradation with peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Fe-doped Cu2O exhibited an ultrahigh efficiency for PMS activation and catalytic degradation of BPA. Experimental and computational outcomes illustrate that iron-doping effectively regulated the exposed termination of the oxides and electronic structure of the surrounding copper atoms. Selective radical screening and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra witnessed the presence of trace-level free radicals (SO4 center dot-, (OH)-O-center dot and O-2(center dot)-), whereas BPA was primarily oxidized via a nonradical pathway. A surface-confined intermediate (PMS@Fe-Cu2O) was formed via intimate outer-sphere interactions, which exhibited a high oxidizing capacity toward organic substrate via an electron-transfer regime. This study developed atomically engineered cuprous catalysts and provided new mechanistic insights into nonradical oxidation.

Automated summary

This study synthesized transition metal-doped cuprous oxides through a facile route and evaluated their efficiency in degrading BPA with PMS. Fe-doped Cu2O showed ultrahigh activation efficiency for PMS and catalytic degradation of BPA. The presence of trace-level free radicals and the formation of a surface-confined intermediate provided new mechanistic insights into nonradical oxidation.