Iron-encapsulated carbon nanotubes catalyze degradation of organic pollutants enabled by magnetic induction heating

Abstract

Organic pollutants have become an urgent problem for human health and the ecological system. The development of a multifunctional and efficient catalyst is of great significance for environmental governance. However, the catalytic conversion process of organic pollutants requires a large amount of energy, and traditional energy supply may further exacerbate environmental pollution. Herein, we propose an integrated magnetic material system that can serve as a magnetic heating medium to provide energy and as catalyst to promote the catalytic reaction. Iron-encapsulated carbon nanotubes activate peroxomonosulfate to generate active free radicals, achieving nearly complete degradation of the organic pollutant Orange II. The reaction exhibits excellent stability and repeatability, which may be attributed to the heating method applied to the magnetic sites, allowing the iron-encapsulated carbon nanotubes to maintain a stable structure. Further loading with Ag allows the catalyst to achieve near 100 % conversion of formaldehyde in air. This study aims to provide an effective and green strategy for environmental pollution treatment by integrating magnetic induction heating and catalytic conversion technology.