Efficient production of singlet oxygen via dioxygen activation on Cu0 decorated MoS2 facilitates the elimination of oxytetracycline

Molecular oxygen (O₂), a green oxidant, is applied in advanced oxidation processes, which represents one of the current focal points in water treatment research. However, achieving efficient and economical activation of O₂ remains a formidable challenge because of its spin-restricted nature. Herein, zero-valent copper (Cu⁰) modified molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) materials were applied as O₂ activators to degrade organic pollutants. The results showed that Cu⁰-MoS₂ could significantly enhance the activation of O₂ and thus accelerate the removal of oxytetracycline (OTC). Notably, 90.0 % of OTC was eliminated within 20 min in the Cu⁰-F-MoS₂ (Cu⁰-Flower-MoS₂) /air system. Quenching experiments, XPS spectra, and DFT calculations confirmed ^•O₂^- and ¹O₂ were pivotal reactive species, with both Mo and Cu playing essential roles. Specially, O₂ was activated by Cu⁰/Cu⁺ to generate ^•O₂^-, then ^•O₂^- was oxidized by Mo⁶⁺ of MoS₂ into ¹O₂. This research offers an eco-friendly approach for eliminating organic substances by activating O₂.