Atomically Dispersed Manganese on Biochar Derived from a Hyperaccumulator for Photocatalysis in Organic Pollution Remediation

Phytoremediation is a potentially cost-effective and environmentally friendly remediation method for environmental pollution. However, the safe treatment and resource utilization of harvested biomass has become a limitation in practical applications. To address this, a novel manganese-carbon-based single-atom catalyst (SAC) method has been developed based on the pyrolysis of a manganese hyperaccumulator, Phytolacca americana. In this method, manganese atoms are dispersed atomically in the carbon matrix and coordinate with N atoms to form a Mn-N-4 structure. The SAC developed exhibited a high photooxidation efficiency and excellent stability during the degradation of a common organic pollutant, rhodamine B. The Mn-N-4 site was the active center in the transformation of photoelectrons via the transfer of photoelectrons between adsorbed O-2 and Mn to produce reactive oxygen species, identified by in situ X-ray absorption line structure spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. This work demonstrates an approach that increases potential utilization of biomass during phytoremedi a..on and provides a promising design strategy to synthesize cost-effective SACs for environmental applications.

Automated summary

Phytoremediation is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for environmental pollution remediation. However, the utilization of harvested biomass poses challenges in practical applications. This study presents a novel approach using a manganese-carbon-based single-atom catalyst method to enhance the potential utilization of biomass for phytoremediation and demonstrates its high efficiency and stability in the degradation of organic pollutants.