Fe–Fe Double-Atom Catalysts for Murine Coronavirus Disinfection: Nonradical Activation of Peroxides and Mechanisms of Virus Inactivation

Peroxides find broad applications for disinfecting environmental pathogens particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the extensive use of chemical disinfectants can threaten human health and ecosystems. To achieve robust and sustainable disinfection with minimal adverse impacts, we developed Fe single-atom and Fe–Fe double-atom catalysts for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The Fe–Fe double-atom catalyst supported on sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride outperformed other catalysts for oxidation, and it activated PMS likely through a nonradical route of catalyst-mediated electron transfer. This Fe–Fe double-atom catalyst enhanced PMS disinfection kinetics for inactivating murine coronaviruses (i.e., murine hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59)) by 2.17–4.60 times when compared to PMS treatment alone in diverse environmental media including simulated saliva and freshwater. The molecular-level mechanism of MHV-A59 inactivation was also elucidated. Fe–Fe double-atom catalysis promoted the damage of not only viral proteins and genomes but also internalization, a key step of virus lifecycle in host cells, for enhancing the potency of PMS disinfection. For the first time, our study advances double-atom catalysis for environmental pathogen control and provides fundamental insights of murine coronavirus disinfection. Our work paves a new avenue of leveraging advanced materials for improving disinfection, sanitation, and hygiene practices and protecting public health.