Lattice-sulfur-impregnated zero-valent iron crystals for long-term metal encapsulation

Chaohuang Chen, Qianhai Zhou, Zhongyuan Guo, Hao Li, Chen Miao, Du Chen, Xiaohong Hu, Xia Feng, Vincent Noël, Subhasis Ghoshal, Gregory V. Lowry, Lizhong Zhu, Daohui Lin and Jiang Xu ()
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Chaohuang Chen: Zhejiang University
Qianhai Zhou: Zhejiang University
Zhongyuan Guo: Zhejiang University
Hao Li: Tohoku University
Chen Miao: Zhejiang University
Du Chen: Zhejiang University
Xiaohong Hu: Zhejiang University
Xia Feng: Zhejiang University
Vincent Noël: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Subhasis Ghoshal: McGill University
Gregory V. Lowry: Carnegie Mellon University
Lizhong Zhu: Zhejiang University
Daohui Lin: Zhejiang University
Jiang Xu: Zhejiang University

Nature Sustainability, 2024, vol. 7, issue 10, 1264-1272

Abstract: Abstract Using nanoscale zero-valent iron (nFe0) materials for heavy metal removal is a viable approach for in situ groundwater pollution remediation. However, conventional nFe0 materials have indiscriminate reactivity towards various electron acceptors (for example, water) and just accumulate heavy metals onto the surface, which leads to poor selectivity and short longevity. Here we develop a lattice-sulfur-impregnated nFe0 (S-nFe0), achieving intraparticle sequestration of heavy metals enabled by a boosted Kirkendall-like effect. This metal-encapsulation approach outcompetes water for electrons and efficiently uses Fe-released spots, and the reacted S-nFe0 becomes inert to release metals (78–220× less than nFe0) in real groundwater matrices. The treated groundwater is estimated to meet drinking-water standards with a longevity of over 20–100 years. The synthesis of S-nFe0 has negligible environmental impacts according to Biwer–Heinzle environmental evaluation results. S-nFe0 also shows competitive production and operation costs for metal-contaminated groundwater remediation. Overall this work presents a strategy for achieving metal encapsulation in nFe0, which breaks the reactivity–selectivity–stability trade-offs of redox nanomaterials, providing a powerful tool to tackle groundwater pollution.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01409-4

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