Spin Channels Enable •H‐Triggered Ozone Activation for Self‐Accelerating Degradation of Reduced‐Sulfur Pollutant
The practical application of catalytic ozonation for sulfurous volatile organic compounds (S-VOCs) is limited by two key challenges: sluggish electron transfer in ozone activation and irreversible catalyst deactivation from sulfur poisoning. Here, we report a strategy to overcome the "activation-poisoning" cycle through the engineering of Cu<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>3-</sub> <sub>x</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinels, which repurpose CH<sub>3</sub>SH from a poison into a co-catalyst, triggering self-accelerating degradation. The optimized Cu<sub>0.75</sub>Mn<sub>2.25</sub>O<sub>4</sub> demonstrated exceptional stability with complete CH<sub>3</sub>SH mineralization over 28 h, sharply contrast to the rapid deactivation of Mn<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>. Mechanistic studies reveal that this enhancement originates from hydrogen radical (•H)-triggered chain reaction: Cu sites selectively mediate S─H homolysis to generate •H, which directly reduces O<sub>3</sub> at Mn sites, driving rapid hydroxyl radical (•OH) formation. This •H-mediated O<sub>3</sub> activation is enabled by spin-polarized electron transfer along Cu─O─Mn spin channels, where Cu doping enhances the O 2p─Mn 3d hybridization, builds delocalized electron pathways, and sustains Cu<sup>2+</sup>/Cu<sup>+</sup> and Mn<sup>4+</sup>/Mn<sup>3+</sup> redox cycling. Instantaneous •H consumption prevents sulfur intermediates accumulation and poisoning. This work transforms catalyst poisoning into a pollutant‑driven, self‑accelerating process via engineered spin‑polarized channels, offering a design strategy for anti-poisoning environmental catalysts and advancing sustainable S-VOC abatement.
Authors
- Mengliang Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5564-5943)
- Shulin Zuo
- Zhenxi Yuan
- Keyu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0321-0604)
- Ji Mei
- Rumeng Zhang
- Dehua Xia
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.4468525
- Primary Topic
- Catalytic Processes in Materials Science
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00