Boosting Reactive Oxygen Species Generation via Contact‐Electro‐Catalysis with Fe^III‐Initiated Self‐cycled Fenton System

Abstract

Contact Electro‐Catalysis (CEC) using commercial dielectric materials in contact‐separation cycles with water triggers interfacial electron transfer, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the hydrophobicity of these materials limits reaction sites, and the generated ROS often combine to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which does not decompose further, leading to suboptimal rates. Addressing H2O2 generation and activation is crucial for advancing CEC. Here, we synthesized a catalyst by loading polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) onto ZSM‐5 (PZ), achieving uniform dispersion in water. Introducing an FeIII‐initiated self‐cycling Fenton system (SF‐CEC), with synergistic O2 activation and FeIII‐activated H2O2, enhanced ROS generation. This system enabled nearly 99% degradation of azo dyes within 10 minutes, a sixfold improvement over traditional CEC. It represents the fastest ultrasound‐induced degradation rate of methyl orange dye to date. Without extra oxidants, it also achieved stable dissolution of precious metals in weakly acidic solutions at room temperature, with 80% gold dissolution within 2 hours‐2.5 times faster than similar systems. This study corrects the perception of CEC under acidic conditions, offering new insights for dye degradation and precious metal recovery.