(2023) Applied Catalysis B: Environmental_Hetero-interface-engineered sulfur vacancy and oxygen doping in hollow Co9S8/Fe7S8 nanospheres towards monopersulfate activation for boosting intrinsic electron transfer in paracetamol degradation

Khiem T.C., Huy N.N., Kwon E., Duan X., Wacławek S., Bedia J., Tsai Y.-C., Ebrahimi A., Ghanbari F., Lin K.-Y.A.

(Elsevier B.V.) Applied Catalysis B: Environmental ISSN: 9263373 Vol.330 Issue. Article No.122550 DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.122550

Designing defects-rich hollow heterostructure bimetal sulfides is considered as an efficient strategy for accelerated monopersulfate (MPS) activation. Herein, mono-step sulfidation was employed to develop sulfur vacancy (SV)-rich hollow oxygen-doped Co₉S₈/Fe₇S₈ (O-CSFS). SV and oxygen doping-induced highly electroactive sites, low charge resistance, and increased conductivity of O-CSFS accounted for its superior performance. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-driven pathway and electron transfer (ET)-driven pathway were revealed to be responsible for PCM degradation in O-CSFS/MPS system, but the role of ET-driven pathway was more significant. The ROS-driven pathway was mainly attributed to electrons-rich low valance of Co atoms which activated MPS to generate different ROS without •OH contribution and with a greater role of SO4^•− than ^₁O₂. Doped O, S species, and surface-active O-CSFS/MPS complex in ET-driven pathway, meanwhile, acquired electrons from PCM, resulting in enhanced PCM oxidation. This study provided more insight into ET-enhanced efficient PCM degradation induced by SV and oxygen-doping. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

This work is supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC-112-2636-E-005-003), Taiwan, and financially supported by the “Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture” from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Taiwan. The authors gratefully acknowledge the use of SQUID000200 of MOST112-2731-M-006-001 belonging to the Core Facility Center of National Cheng Kung University. This work is supported by the National Science and Technology Council ( NSTC-112-2636-E-005-003 ), Taiwan, and financially supported by the “Innovation and Development Center of Sustainable Agriculture” from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Taiwan. The authors gratefully acknowledge the use of SQUID000200 of MOST112-2731-M-006-001 belonging to the Core Facility Center of National Cheng Kung University.