Fe modulation of CoSiB metallic glasses to highly enhance the pH-universal degradation of wastewater in Fenton-like processes

Author Identifier

Lai Chang Zhang: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0661-2051

Yujie Yuan: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3931-2071

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Applied Surface Science

Volume

695

Publisher

Elsevier

School

Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing / School of Engineering

Publication Unique Identifier

10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.162897

Funders

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2024A1515011096, 2023A1515110087, 2023A1515012107) / Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2024A04J3740)

Comments

Liu, Y., Liang, S. X., Wu, X., Huang, Y., Zhang, L. C., Yuan, Y., ... & Tao, P. (2025). Fe modulation of CoSiB metallic glasses to highly enhance the pH-universal degradation of wastewater in Fenton-like processes. Applied Surface Science, 695, 162897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.162897

Abstract

Metallic glasses (MGs) with uniquely structural disordering-induced abundant surface-active sites have received extensive attention in advanced oxidation processes. Yet, most MGs so far only present a strong catalytic ability within a narrow pH range, which highly limits their further applications. Herein, the incorporation of Fe into Co-based MGs achieves a remarkable synergetic effect of pH-universal degradation in Fenton-like processes. Particularly, CoFeSiB10 MG achieves 11 times higher degradation efficiency than CoSiB counterpart at pH 3, which outperforms other Co-based MGs with being only applicable at alkaline condition. It also shows a promising reusability with up to 62 times with nearly zero mass loss under alkaline dye solution due to the formation of surface B hydr(oxides). Further analyses demonstrate that Fe microalloying induces a fast electron transfer of Co and Fe as surface active sites, and the well conservation of surface zero-valent metals during reactions stimulates Co2+/Co3+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ cycles. Such bimetallic synergistic effect in MG encourages the strong activation of H2O2 to generate •OH as dominant radicals at the acidic condition, whereas •O2− is responsible for the catalytic degradation at the alkaline condition. This work holds the promise to design novel pH-universal MG catalysts for further practical industrial wastewater treatment.

DOI

10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.162897

Access Rights

subscription content

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS