Ultrafast destruction of antibiotics in waters by generated electricity via multicomponent coordination on catalyst

Antibiotics have been detected in water worldwide at trace concentrations (ng/L to μg/L), posing risks to human health and ecological environments. Addressing this issue is scientifically challenging due to current inefficient and expensive technology. Herein we developed a catalytic system comprising an Fe-Mn complex graphene-like carbon encapsulating Fe⁰ supported on Fe₂O₃ (Fe, Mn-GC@Fe⁰/Fe₂O₃), realizing ultrafast destruction of trace antibiotics in municipal wastewater under ambient atmospheric conditions without external energy input. The stronger electric field was generated from antibiotics-anions-dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-H₂O synergistic coordination via the π-π stacking effect at the Fe, Mn species and GC areas, resulting in surface charge rearrangement through Fe/Mn-N-C and Fe/Mn-O-C bond bridges by the great cation-π interaction. The sequential oxidation of adsorbed groups and adjacent bond homolysis for antibiotics were initiated by the further increased electric field with the coordination of O₂ at Fe, Mn species area, alongside adsorbed DOC cleavage and O₂ reduction to O₂^•-. Our findings highlight the potential of electricity generation from multicomponent coordination in developing cost-effective novel technologies for water micro-pollution remediation.