Designing H₂O₂-Propulsion Co₃O₄@MnO₂ Micromotors for Antibiotics Degradation under Neutral Conditions

Wastewater treatment has become a hot topic of research in the field of environmental catalysis in recent years. However, traditional catalytic treatment methods often depended on noble-metal components or harsh reaction conditions, which were costly and difficult to meet the requirements of green and large-scale applications. To address these challenges, the core@shell structure micromotors (MMs) composed of a spherical Co₃O₄ core and an environmentally friendly MnO₂ nanosheet shell were prepared through a solvothermal method. Under neutral pH conditions, the Co₃O₄@MnO₂ MMs could efficiently drive the Fenton-like reaction, achieving rapid degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride with a degradation efficiency of up to 92% within 1 h under neutral conditions, thus overcoming the limitation of the conventional Fenton process that required strongly acidic media. Mechanistic studies revealed that abundant singlet oxygen was generated during the catalytic process of the Co₃O₄@MnO₂-H₂O₂ system. The Co₃O₄@MnO₂ MMs offer a promising strategy for constructing cost-effective, highly stable, and sustainable wastewater remediation systems owing to their self-propulsion capability, simple preparation, and favorable catalytic performance.