Interfacial Oxygen Vacancy of CuO_x-CeO₂ Enhances H₂O₂ Activation and Pollutant Degradation

In the Fenton process, the development of catalysts with a wide pH range and good stability has been a long-term goal for water treatment purpose. This study proposes a strategy to solve this problem by preparing supported catalysts CuO_x@CeO₂-IE using an ion exchange reversed loading method. The generation of a large number of interfacial oxygen vacancies with Cu-O_V-Ce (O_V represents an oxygen vacancy site) structures prolongs the O-O bond of H₂O₂, promotes the rupture of the peroxide bond of H₂O₂, and thereby promotes the activation of H₂O₂ on the surface of the catalyst. The results show that with a H₂O₂ concentration of 5 mM and CuO_x@CeO₂-IE at 50 mg/L, the removal rate of bisphenol A is 94.1 % in 60 min, in which • OH dominates the degradation process. Moreover, the system can operate well within a relatively wide pH range (4-8). This study provides a novel strategy for the design of Fenton catalysts with a wide pH suitability and excellent stability.