Excellent reusability of FeBC amorphous ribbons induced by progressive formation of through-pore structure during acid orange 7 degradation

Abstract

The high-efficient degrading ability of FeBC amorphous ribbons toward acid orange 7 (AO7) via redox reactions is reported and compared with that of FePC amorphous ribbons. The time required for degrading 50% of AO7 using FeBC amorphous ribbons is only 1/3 of that using FePC amorphous ribbons. In the FeBC amorphous matrix, galvanic cell structures are formed between the Fe-B and Fe-C bonds because of the large difference in their bonding strengths, which contributes to the low reaction activation energy and the high degrading efficiency of FeBC amorphous ribbons. The extremely long service life of FeBC amorphous ribbons comes from the progressive formation of 3D porous nanosheet networks that allow more efficient mass transport and a larger specific surface area. The FeBC amorphous ribbons show a satisfying degrading ability in not only acidic but also neutral and weak alkaline AO7 solutions. This work provides an effective and environmental- friendly material for degrading azo dyes.