UV-assisted ultrafast construction of robust Fe3O4/polydopamine/Ag Fenton-like catalysts for highly efficient micropollutant decomposition

Fenton-like catalysts represent a family of promising materials to degrade micropollutants from contaminated water. However, the practical applications of Fenton-like catalysts are mainly limited by low catalytic degradation efficiency and stability. Herein, for the first time, rapid fabrication of Ag-decorated Fe3O4/polydopamine (FPA) microspheres was achieved via the help of UV irradiation, and the designed FPA microspheres were employed as Fenton-like catalysts to degrade micropollutants. Results showed that UV irradiation could activate the generation of the polydopamine shell and accelerate the Ag deposition, which played a crucial role in the rapid synthesis of highly active and stable FPA catalysts. Relative to reported catalysts, these FPA microspheres exhibited outstanding catalytic degradation performance, achieving 94.38% removal of tetracycline within 60 min. This work will provide a convenient strategy in the sustainable and efficient purification of wastewater to improve the quality of human life.