Inspired by the development of single-atom catalysts (SACs), the fabrication of multimetallic SACs can be a promising technical approach for the in situ electro-Fenton (EF) process. Herein, dual-functional atomically dispersed Mo-Fe sites embedded in carbon nitride (C3N5) (i.e., MoFe/C3N5) were synthesized via a facile SiO2 template method. The atomically isolated bimetallic configuration in MoFe/C3N5 was identified by combining the microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The MoFe/C3N5 catalyst on the cathode exhibited a remarkable catalytic activity toward the three electron-dominated oxygen reduction reaction in sodium sulfate, leading to a highly effective EF reaction with a low overpotential for the removal of organic contaminants from wastewater. The new catalyst showed a superior performance over its conventional counterparts, owing to the dual functions of the dual-metal active sites. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis revealed that the dual-functional 50-MoFe/C3N5 catalyst enabled a synergistic action of the Mo-Fe dual single atomic centers, which can alter the adsorption/dissociation behavior and decrease the overall reaction barriers for effective organic oxidation during the EF process. This study not only sheds light on the controlled synthesis of atomically isolated catalyst materials but also provides deeper understanding of the structure-performance relationship of the nanocatalysts with dual active sites for the catalytic EF process. Additionally, the findings will promote the advanced catalysis for the treatment of emerging organic contaminants in water and wastewater.
Keywords: dual functional catalyst; electro-Fenton; hydroxyl radicals; oxygen reduction reaction.