Citation: Lifei Hou, Siyuan You, Rui Li, Haoyun Lu, Yanan Shang, Xing Xu. Synergy between Si-O-C bonding and graphitic N enables exceptional Fenton-like activity rivaling single-atom catalysis[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(5): 111903. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111903 shu

Synergy between Si-O-C bonding and graphitic N enables exceptional Fenton-like activity rivaling single-atom catalysis

Lifei Hou ^a ,
Siyuan You ^a ,
Rui Li ^a ,
Haoyun Lu ^a ,
Yanan Shang ^{a, *,} ,
Xing Xu ^{b, *,}

a.
College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
b.
Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China

shangyanan@sdust.edu.cn

xuxing@sdu.edu.cn

Received Date: 14 April 2025
Revised Date: 1 August 2025
Accepted Date: 25 September 2025
Available Online: 26 September 2025

Figures(6)

In light of the prevalent issues associated with metal ion dissolution, secondary pollution, and poor stability in traditional metal-based Fenton catalysts, this study innovatively developed a metal-free carbon-based catalyst co-doped with Si-O bonds and graphitic nitrogen using natural diatomite as the precursor. By leveraging the synergistic effects of Si-O bonds and graphitic nitrogen, the electronic structure of the carbon matrix was effectively modulated, establishing an efficient electron transport channel for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. Results showed that the Fenton-like performance of the resulting catalysts was far superior to those of traditional metal catalysts and can be comparable to various single-atom catalysts. Both the radical and ¹O₂ pathways exhibited a negligible role in the metal-free Si-O/N@DM/PMS systems. In contrast, electron transfer process (ETP) was the predominate oxidation pathway for acetaminophen (PCM) degradation in the Si-O/N@DM/PMS systems. To facilitate engineering applications, we further designed a proton membrane reactor integrated with a four-channel PMS system, which could introduce an enlarged ETP pathway for pollutant degradation; this addresses the key issues of both sulfate pollution and metal leaching in water caused by traditional metal-based Fenton systems.
- Peroxymonosulfate,
- Graphitic N,
- Si-O bonding,
- Fenton-like reaction,
- Carbon-based catalyst
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