The Rapid Catalytic Degradation of Reactive Black 5 Using Mo51Fe34B15 Metallic Glass Wire

Metallic glass, as an emerging catalytic material, possesses an atomic structure characterized by long-range disorder and short-range order, which creates abundant and accessible active sites that enhance the adsorption and reactivity toward pollutant molecules, particularly dye compounds. In treating highly colored and recalcitrant Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye wastewater, Mo51Fe34B15 metallic glass wire demonstrate outstanding catalytic degradation performance within a conventional Fenton-like system. Under acidic conditions (pH = 2), the material exhibits a degradation rate constant of 0.698 min−1 for a 20 ppm RB5 dye solution, achieving a degradation efficiency of 98.8% within 10 min. After 10 consecutive cycles, the efficiency remains at 95%, and throughout 15 cycles, it consistently maintains a performance level above 90%. As the reaction proceeds, the degradation rate gradually decreases, primarily due to the accumulation of corrosion products on the catalyst surface, which are predominantly composed of MoO3 and Fe2O3. During the degradation process, metallic Mo0 and Fe0 serve as electron donors that facilitate the decomposition of H2O2, generating highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH). These radicals attack the chromophoric structure of the dye, leading to its structural disruption and enabling rapid decolorization.