Orbital coupling in bridge-mediated FeCu dual-atom catalysts for water decontamination.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42420297.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-75032-6.
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Abstract
Dual-atom catalysts (DACs) hold significant promise for advanced oxidation processes. However, their practical applications are often limited by sluggish electron transfer and low atomic utilization efficiency. Herein, we report that P-bridged Fe-Cu dual-atom catalysts (FeCu-NP-C) are precisely modulated by first-shell N and P ligands, forming a unique N<sub>3</sub>Fe-P<sub>1</sub>-CuN<sub>3</sub> structure. The Fe-P-Cu bridging bond induces d-p-d gradient orbital coupling to establish a directional electron-transfer channel from the Cu site (electron donor) to the Fe site (electron acceptor) for enabling ultrafast pollutant degradation and bacterial inactivation. The FeCu-NP-C catalyst enables peroxymonosulfate activation to selectively generate high-valent iron-oxo species with a steady-state concentration of 5.80 × 10<sup>-5 </sup>mM, which is 100 times higher than that of Fe-NP-C. The FeCu-NP-C membrane reactor achieves a treatment capacity of 500 L of wastewater per gram of catalyst over 100 h, at an operational cost of USD 0.16 per tonne. This work provides deep insights into the bridge-mediated orbital interactions of DACs for water decontamination.