Bimetal heterointerfaces towards enhanced electro-activation of O2 under room condition

Efficient catalysts for oxygen (O-2) activation under room condition are required for effective wet air oxidation (WAO) technology. Here, we report a novel manganese-cobalt-based composite (MnO-CoO@Co) fabricated on a graphite felt (GF) support for catalyzing the electro-activation of O-2 under room condition. Abundant Co-MnO and CoO-MnO heterointerfaces are formed in the composite. In comparison to the single-metal counterparts, i. e. CoO@Co/GF (16.99 wt% Co) and MnO/GF (26.83 wt% Mn), the bimetal MnO-CoO@Co/GF (5.29 wt% Co and 8.79 wt% Mn) displays an improved oxygen storage capacity and provides more active sites to accommodate surface adsorbed oxygen species. Notably, the strong synergy derived from bimetal heterointerfaces enhances the electron transfer and oxygen mobilization during the electro-activation of O-2, thereby significantly reducing the reaction barrier. MnO-CoO@Co/GF exhibits excellent efficiency and stability in electrocatalytic WAO (ECWAO) towards the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) over a wide pH range from 4.0 to 10.0. A model pollutant sulfamethoxazole (SMX) acquires mineralization efficiency of 78.4 +/- 2.1% and mineralization current efficiency of 157.89% at +1.0 V of electrode potential. The toxicity of PPCPs can be totally eliminated after the ECWAO treatment. This work highlights the synergy derived from bimetal heterointerfaces in O-2 electrocatalysis, and provides a promising approach for advanced WAO catalysts in PPCPs pollution control.

Automated summary

This study presents a novel manganese-cobalt-based composite catalyst for efficient electro-activation of oxygen under room temperature, which shows enhanced oxygen storage capacity and provides more active sites compared to single-metal counterparts. The strong synergy derived from bimetal heterointerfaces reduces the reaction barrier during electro-activation of oxygen, leading to excellent efficiency and stability in the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products over a wide pH range. This work highlights the promising approach of using bimetal heterointerfaces in advanced wet air oxidation catalysts for pollution control.