Impregnation of single-atom iron from metallosurfactants onto MOF-derived porous N-doped carbon for efficient wastewater treatment via peroxymonosulfate activation

Title : Impregnation of single-atom iron from metallosurfactants onto MOF-derived porous N-doped carbon for efficient wastewater treatment via peroxymonosulfate activation

Abstract:

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have garnered considerable attention for their unique composition, featuring individual metal atoms firmly anchored on supports. These catalysts exhibit exceptional performance in heterogeneous catalysis for environmental applications. However, fully harnessing their atom-level structure, which is crucial for catalytic activity and selectivity, remains a formidable challenge in SAC formulation. Herein, Fe-MOF derived a single iron atom impregnated on a porous N-doped carbon (Fe_SAC/NC) was synthesized using an iron-based metallosurfactant (FeCTAC) as the precursor. The formation of isolated single atom and their surrounding environment after pyrolysis at 900°C was confirmed by XPS and EXAFS analysis. The use of FeCTAC facilitated the exposure of more single iron atoms on the porous NC matrix and prevented their aggregation, as verified by elemental analysis and HAADEF-TEM. The resulting Fe_SAC/NC was applied in the Fenton reaction for the degradation of Tetracycline (TC) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). It achieved 92% TC removal in 40 minutes, compared to only 23% with PMS alone. Free radical scavenging experiments indicated that a non-radical pathway, involving singlet oxygen and electron transfer, dominated the degradation process. Additionally, pyrrolic and graphitic nitrogen sites in the NC matrix contributed significantly to TC adsorption. This exceptional catalytic performance provides valuable insights for designing highly efficient catalysts for wastewater treatment.

Keywords: Metal Organic Framework, Single Atom Catalyst, Metallosurfactant, Degradation, Peroxymonosulfate Activation.

Biography:

Dr. Preeti Garg is a Women Research Scientist (DST-WOS-A) in the Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2019, specializing in metallosurfactants, MOFs, photocatalysis, antimicrobial materials, and photodynamic therapy. She leads a SERB-DST funded project on single-atom catalysts for energy conversion and biomedical applications. Dr. Garg has international research experience as a visiting researcher at Durham University, UK, working on antibacterial coatings to address antimicrobial resistance. She has authored more than 30 research publications in high-impact journals, holds a granted Indian patent on metallo-catanionic vesicles, and has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences. She is skilled in advanced characterization techniques such as SAXS and Confocal Microscopy.