High-performance Fe/Mn@CC anode derived from in-situ growth Fe-Mn metal-organic frameworks for enhanced electrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

This study aims to address the increasingly severe environmental challenges posed by tetracycline (TC) pollution and, to this end, has developed a novel bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon cloth (CC) composite anode (Fe/Mn@CC). Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the process parameters. Due to the enrichment of lattice oxygen and the synergistic catalytic effect of the bimetal, the TC degradation rate reached as high as 98.25% within 30 min, and the removal rate of total organic carbon (TOC) reached 64.7% within 60 min. Mechanistic studies revealed that •OH on the electrode surface was the primary active species in the degradation process. Furthermore, the anode exhibited excellent stability, maintaining a degradation efficiency of over 94.66% even after ten cycles. Through HPLC-MS analysis, this study also disclosed potential degradation pathways of tetracycline. This work provides a new strategy for the design and application of novel, highly efficient electrochemical catalysts and is expected to play a significant role in the field of water pollution control.