Cation-π induced surface cleavage of organic pollutants with (⋅)OH formation from H(2)O for water treatment

High energy consumption is impedimental for eliminating refractory organic pollutants in water by applying advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Herein, we develop a novel process for destructing these organics in chemical conjuncted Fe(0)-Fe(y)C(z)/Fe(x), graphited ZIF-8, and rGO air-saturated aqueous suspension without additional energy. In this process, a strong Fe-π interaction occurs on the composite surface, causing the surface potential energy ∼310.97 to 663.96 kJ/mol. The electrons for the adsorbed group of pollutants are found to delocalize to around the iron species and could be trapped by O(2) in aqueous suspension(,) producing (⋅)OH, H, and adsorbed organic cation radicals, which are hydrolyzed or hydrogenated to intermediate. The target pollutants undergo surface cleavage and convert H(2)O to (⋅)OH, consuming chemical adsorption energy (∼2.852–9.793 kJ/mol), much lower than that of AOPs. Our findings provide a novel technology for water purification and bring new insights into pollutant oxidation chemistry.