Efficient solar-peroxymonosulfate activation via d-band modulation on SrFeO₃/MoSe₂ toward antibiotic contaminant...

The widespread presence of antibiotics in aquatic environments poses significant ecological risks, necessitating efficient remediation strategies. Herein, a novel SrFeO₃/MoSe₂ (SFM) heterojunction catalyst was synthesized via hydrothermal methods to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for antibiotics degradation under simulated solar illumination. The optimized SFM-0.5 composite exhibited exceptional catalytic performance, achieving 96 % sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal within 20 min via synergistic photoactivation-PMS processes, outperforming the same type of catalysts. Structural analyses confirmed the integration of MoSe₂ with SrFeO₃, which enhanced oxygen vacancies and electronic conductivity. DFT calculations elucidated interfacial charge transfer pathways mediated by Mo-O bonds, with the formation shifted the Fe d-band center closer to the Fermi level, and highlighted accelerated O-O bond cleavage in PMS at MoSe₂-modified sites. Dynamic column validation and cost analysis further confirmed its practicality for scalable wastewater treatment. This work offers an effective route for the development of advanced catalysts based on interfacial and electronic structure modulation to achieve enhanced performance in the photo-activation of PMS.