Fast degradation of azo dye by nanocrystallized Fe-based alloys

Exploring new alloys with high efficiency in degrading organic pollutants in aqueous solutions is of wide interests. Here, we report that the nanocrystallized Fe82.65Si4B12Cu1.35 alloy exhibits higher efficiency in decolorizing azo dye solutions compared to its amorphous counterpart. The increased efficiency is attributed to the formation of numerous microbatteries between the alpha-Fe(Si) and Fe2B nanocrystalline phases, which exhibit different corrosion potentials. These results suggest that nanocrystallized Fe-based amorphous composites hold promising application potential in degrading azo dyes solutions.