Work

Modulating Iron Crystals with Lattice Chalcophile‐Siderophile Elements for Selective Dechlorinations Over Hydrogen Evolution

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Selective dechlorination of organic chlorides over hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains a challenge because of their coincidence. Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nFe 0 ) draws a promising picture of in situ groundwater dechlorination, but its indiscriminate reactivity limits the application. Here, nFe 0 crystals are designed with electron shuttles and improved hydrophobic nature based on elemental chalcophile‐siderophile characteristics, where chalcophile‐siderophile S served as a bridge to allow impregnating nFe 0 crystals with weakly siderophile and strongly chalcophile Cu. Even impregnations of lattice chalcophile‐siderophile elements into the nFe 0 crystals are evidenced at both intraparticle and individual‐particle levels. The modulated Fe microenvironment and physicochemical properties broke the reactivity‐selectivity‐longevity‐stability trade‐off. Compared to nFe 0 , superhydrophobic Cu─S─nFe 0 with lattice expansion promoted dechlorination by 20‐fold but inhibited HER by 150‐fold, utilizing ≈80–100% electrons from the Fe 0 reservoir. This work demonstrates the concept of engineering nFe 0 lattice with tunable structure‐property relationships, mimicking reductive dehalogenases by selectively interacting with halocarbon functional groups for efficient dehalogenation and sustainable groundwater remediation.

Source: Advanced Science

DOI: 10.1002/advs.202416663