Wan, Z., S.H. Chae, A.F. Meese, O. Nwokonkwo, L. Arrazolo, K.L. Yip, Ma X, Liu S, Muhich C, Wang D, Wei H., and Kim JH. (2025). Nature Communications 16:9672(2025)
Filed Under: Research
Filed Under: Research
This study demonstrates that spatial confinement of catalysts at the angstrom scale can significantly enhance the stability of iron oxyfluoride (FeOF), a highly efficient catalyst for advanced oxidation. A catalytic membrane was fabricated by intercalating FeOF catalysts between layers of graphene oxides. In flow-through operation, the catalytic membrane maintained near-complete removal of neonicotinoids for over two weeks by effectively activating H₂O₂ to generate ^•OH. Catalyst deactivation was significantly mitigated by spatially confining fluoride ions leached from the catalyst, which was identified as the primary cause of catalytic activity loss. The angstrom-scale membrane channels effectively reject the majority of natural organic matter via size exclusion, thereby preserving radical availability and sustaining pollutant degradation under practical conditions. This innovative strategy for enhancing catalyst stability can be potentially applied to other existing catalysts developed for water treatment applications. This article is Open Access at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64684-5.