Additive-Free Contact-Electro-Catalysis/Vacuum Ultraviolet System for Rapid Mitigation of...

The widespread occurrence of antimicrobial-resistance-associated contaminants in natural and engineered water systems poses a major threat to environmental and public health. Conventional contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) can generate interfacial H₂O₂ and reactive oxygen species, but its efficiency is often constrained by sluggish H₂O₂ activation and limited reactive oxygen species flux. Here, we report an additive-free contact-electro-catalysis/vacuum ultraviolet (CEC-VUV) system that uses low-cost polytetrafluoroethylene as a dielectric catalyst for rapid mitigation of antibiotics, pathogens, and antibiotic resistance genes in water. Mechanistic analyses reveal that VUV irradiation activates CEC-derived H₂O₂ and O₃ through charge-photon coupling, converting these otherwise underutilized intermediates into ^•OH. CEC continuously supplies interfacial charges and H₂O₂, while VUV promotes H₂O₂ photolysis and O₂-to-O₃ conversion. The generated O₃ is further activated at the charged polytetrafluoroethylene/water interface, establishing an interconnected H₂O₂/O₃-to-^•OH conversion network that amplifies ^•OH generation. This mechanism enables complete degradation of representative antibiotics within 10 min, complete inactivation of pathogenic bacteria within 5 min, effective antibiotic resistance gene removal in real water matrices, and stable bactericidal performance under continuous-flow operation.