Persistent micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals are notoriously difficult to remove from water because many oxidation catalysts gradually lose activity during use. The new study presents a different solution: a FeS2/MoS2 heterostructure that can keep its own catalytic cycle running through a self-sustaining charge-circulation process. Instead of relying on one rapidly exhausted reaction route, the system continuously regenerates dual active sites and supports both radical and non-radical oxidation pathways at the same time. This design enabled rapid removal of acetaminophen, strong performance across different pollutants and water types, and unusually durable operation over extended periods, pointing to a more stable and practical route for advanced water treatment.
Advanced oxidation processes are widely used in water purification, but their real-world impact is often limited by catalyst deactivation and poor control over reaction pathways. In peroxymonosulfate-based systems, one of the hardest problems is maintaining metal redox cycling long enough to keep producing reactive oxygen species efficiently. Sacrificial sites can temporarily supply electrons, but they are not regenerable and may also waste oxidant through side reactions. That means treatment efficiency falls, operating costs rise, and long-term application becomes harder. Because of these challenges, there is a strong need to develop catalyst architectures that can sustain active-site regeneration while broadening oxidative pathways for more stable and efficient pollutant removal.
Researchers from Huaqiao University and related wastewater treatment research centers in Xiamen, China, reported (DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2026.100699) this work in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology in a study accepted on April 11, 2026. The team built a FeS 2 /MoS 2 heterostructure on etched Fe 3 O 4 microparticles and showed that the interface creates a built-in electric field, driving directional electron transfer from MoS 2 to FeS 2 . That internal electron flow allows the catalyst to regenerate its own active sites during reaction, while sustaining multiple reactive oxygen species for pollutant degradation. The result is a water-treatment system designed not just for fast removal, but for long operating life.
The study’s main advance lies in showing how interfacial charge circulation can keep a catalyst working without rapid collapse. In this design, Fe sites mainly drive the production of hydroxyl and sulfate radicals, while Mo sites promote singlet oxygen and superoxide generation. That dual-pathway arrangement matters because singlet oxygen supports fast degradation, while radicals contribute to deeper mineralization of byproducts. The FeS 2 /MoS 2 /PMS system completely degraded acetaminophen within 12 minutes and showed a catalyst-normalized rate constant notably higher than earlier systems. It also worked across a broad pH range and remained effective in lake, tap, reclaimed, and distilled water. Just as important, the catalyst retained over 95.5% of its original performance after eight cycles and kept more than 91.5% removal efficiency after 3000 minutes of continuous operation. The authors further showed that the system handled a wide range of refractory contaminants, including antibiotics, dyes, endocrine-disrupting compounds, and mixed-pollutant water, highlighting both mechanistic novelty and practical adaptability.
The authors said the work offers a more durable way to think about catalyst design for water cleanup: instead of accepting active-site loss as inevitable, the interface itself can be engineered to keep electrons moving and active centers regenerating during reaction. They said that by coupling radical and non-radical chemistry within one self-sustaining redox loop, the system delivers both fast pollutant breakdown and long-term operational stability. In their view, this strategy could help move advanced oxidation closer to practical, recyclable treatment platforms for complex real-water conditions.
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References
DOI
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2026.100699
Funding information
This work was financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (51978291), Xiamen Science and Technology Project Foundation (3502Z202471037, 3502Z20226012), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
About Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (ISSN 2666-4984) is an international, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal published by Elsevier. The journal publishes significant views and research across the full spectrum of ecology and environmental sciences, such as climate change, sustainability, biodiversity conservation, environment & health, green catalysis/processing for pollution control, and AI-driven environmental engineering. The latest impact factor of ESE is 14.3, according to the Journal Citation Reports TM 2024.
Environmental Science and Ecotechnology
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Self-sustaining charge circulation in FeS2/MoS2 heterostructures for micropollutant removal
11-Apr-2026
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.