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

Molecular oxygen (O 2 ), 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 O 2 remains a formidable challenge because of its spin-restricted nature. Herein, zero-valent copper (Cu 0 ) modified molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) materials were applied as O 2 activators to degrade organic pollutants. The results showed that Cu 0 -MoS 2 could significantly enhance the activation of O 2 and thus accelerate the removal of oxytetracycline (OTC). Notably, 90.0 % of OTC was eliminated within 20 min in the Cu 0 -F-MoS 2 (Cu 0 -Flower-MoS 2 ) /air system. Quenching experiments, XPS spectra, and DFT calculations confirmed • O 2 − and 1 O 2 were pivotal reactive species, with both Mo and Cu playing essential roles. Specially, O 2 was activated by Cu 0 /Cu + to generate • O 2 − , then • O 2 − was oxidized by Mo 6+ of MoS 2 into 1 O 2 . This research offers an eco-friendly approach for eliminating organic substances by activating O 2 .