Iron boride boosted Fenton oxidation: Boron species induced sustainable FeIII/FeII redox couple

The regeneration of Fe(II) is the rate-limiting step in the Fenton/Fenton-like chain reactions that seriously hinder their scientific progress towards practical application. In this study, we proposed iron boride (FeB) for the first time as a new material to sustainably decompose H2O2 to generate hydroxyl radicals, which can non-selectively degrade a wide array of refractory organic pollutants. Fe(II) can be steadily released by the stepwise oxidation of FeB to stimulate Fenton reaction, meanwhile, B-B bonds as electron donors on the surface of FeB effectively promote the regeneration of Fe(II) from Fe(III) species and significantly accelerate the production of hydroxyl radicals. The low generation of toxic by-products and the high utilization rate of iron species validly avoid the secondary organic/metal pollution in the FeB/H2O2 system. Therefore, FeB mediated Fenton oxidation provides a novel strategy to realize a green and long-lasting environmental remediation.

Automated summary

In this study, iron boride (FeB) was proposed as a new material to sustainably decompose H2O2 to generate hydroxyl radicals, which can degrade refractory organic pollutants. Fe(II) was steadily released by the oxidation of FeB, and B-B bonds on the surface of FeB promoted the regeneration of Fe(II) from Fe(III) and accelerated the production of hydroxyl radicals. The FeB/H2O2 system showed low generation of toxic by-products and high utilization rate of iron species, providing a green and long-lasting environmental remediation strategy.