Single-atom Co embedded in BCN matrix to achieve 100% conversion of peroxymonosulfate into singlet oxygen

Effective removal of pollutants that affect human health and ecosystem stability is a crucial challenge. Here, the structural confinement engineering strategy realizes the effective anchoring of atomically dispersed Co in the B-doped-CN network (BCN) (BCN/CoN[2 +2]). The advanced oxidation process (AOP) involved BCN/CoN[2 + 2] has realized the rapid and complete degradation to tetracycline (TCL), the removal of approximately 80% and 100% of tetracycline was achieved in 5 min and 30 min, respectively. The AOP with BCN/CoN[2 + 2] can degrade TCL over a wide pH; in addition, BCN/CoN[2 + 2] has the ability to efficiently degrade common pollutants, and its catalytic activity did not decay even if it was used repeated five times. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy shows that BCN/CoN[2 + 2] drives the complete conversion of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to 1O2, and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the base for the conversion of PMS to 1O2 is from the isolated state of the active site Co.