Citation: Yi Zhou, Guocheng Lv, Xinyu Lei, Xinyu Hou, Meng Liu, Libing Liao, Hailiang Dong. Enhanced tetracycline degradation via nano zero-valent iron confined in halloysite nanotubes for sustainable water purification[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(10): 111640. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111640 shu

Enhanced tetracycline degradation via nano zero-valent iron confined in halloysite nanotubes for sustainable water purification

Yi Zhou ^a ,
Guocheng Lv ^{a, *,} ,
Xinyu Lei ^a ,
Xinyu Hou ^a ,
Meng Liu ^a ,
Libing Liao ^a ,
Hailiang Dong ^{b, *,}

a.
Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Geological Carbon Storage and Low Carbon Utilization of Resources, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, Hebei Key Laboratory of Resource Low-carbon Utilization and New Materials, School of Materials Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
b.
Center for Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry Research, State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China

guochenglv@cugb.edu.cn

dongh@cugb.edu.cn

Received Date: 19 June 2025
Revised Date: 14 July 2025
Accepted Date: 25 July 2025
Available Online: 30 July 2025

Figures(5)

Environmental remediation demands efficient strategies for antibiotic degradation. Herein, we report the successful selective loading of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) into the lumen of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) via vacuum-assisted infusion and thermal reduction (denoted as nZVI@HNTs). This confined nanoreactor architecture simultaneously acts as a robust reductant and a Fenton-like catalyst. The tubular structure of HNTs enhanced nZVI dispersion and stability while leveraging its nanoconfinement effect to concentrate pollutants and suppress parasitic reactions between nZVI and H₂O₂. For tetracycline (TC) degradation, the nZVI@HNTs+H₂O₂ system achieved 86.61% removal within 90 min (20 mg/L TC, pH 5.5), outperforming surface-loaded controls by >19%. Crucially, the HNT lumen provides dual protection: Spatial isolation suppresses non-target nZVI consumption by O₂/H₂O, while constrained diffusion delays H₂O₂ contact, prioritizing contaminant reduction before controlled Fe²⁺-activated oxidation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including ·OH, ·O₂⁻, and ¹O₂, synergistically drove TC degradation through radical and nonradical pathways. LC-MS analysis identified intermediates formed via demethylation, ring opening, and hydroxylation, with toxicity assessments confirming reduced acute toxicity, mutagenicity, and developmental toxicity of byproducts. Notably, nZVI@HNTs retained 64.03% efficiency after five cycles, demonstrating superior reusability. This work provides a novel strategy to enhance nZVI’s environmental applicability by combining confinement engineering with redox-coupled processes, offering broad prospects for sustainable water purification.
- Nanoscale zero-valent iron,
- Halloysite nanotubes,
- Confined space,
- Fenton-like reaction,
- Contaminant degradation
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