MoS2 nanoflowers decorated with single Fe atoms catalytically boost the activation properties of peroxymonosulfate

Reductive iron species have been widely used in advanced oxidation technologies (AOPs) and have shown great potential for the catalytic degradation of various organic pollutants. However, preparing reductive iron-based catalysts that can effectively degrade organic pollutants over a wide pH range remains challenging. Herein, we constructed xFe-MoS2 nanoflowers by introducing atomically dispersed Fe into MoS2 nanosheets, which were demonstrated to catalytically boost the activation of PMS toward the Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. At an initial concentration of 20 mg L−1, the catalyst xFe-MoS2 could complete the fading and removal of RhB in as fast as three minutes. The 4%Fe-MoS2 showed excellent catalytic performance for RhB degradation over a broad pH range (3.0–11.0), with maximal activity at pH 3.0. MoS2 showed a remarkable synergistic effect in improving the adsorption of RhB and Fe2+/Fe3+ cycling on the catalyst surface, which significantly accelerated the removal efficiency of RhB. Sulfate radicals (SO4•−) and superoxide radicals (O2•−) were identified as the predominant active species during the RhB degradation process. Furthermore, the 4%Fe-MoS2 exhibited great stability and sustainable reactivity. This study provides theoretical analysis and practical exploration of the development and utilization of MoS2 decorated with Fe single atoms for removing pollutants by activating PMS.