@article{Cheng2026, 
author = {Yufei Cheng and Mengzhuang Yang and Yuchen Hu and Peng Liu and Weichen Zeng and Xiaohang Han and Tianyi Wang and Langming Bai and Jinlong Wang and Han Zhang and Xiaoguang Duan and Heng Liang},
title = {Molecular oxygen confinement ladder enables stable electro-Fenton treatment of nanofiltration concentrate},
year = {2026},
journal = {Environmental Science and Ecotechnology},
volume = {33},
keywords = {Electro-Fenton, NF concentrate, Wedge-shaped structure, Oxygen confinement, Singlet oxygen, Membrane aeration},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.ese.2026.100749},
doi = {10.1016/j.ese.2026.100749},
abstract = {Clean water scarcity intensifies the need for advanced treatment of emerging contaminants in nanofiltration (NF) concentrates. Conventional electro-Fenton (EF) systems face unstable oxygen supply and electrode wetting in bubbleless aeration, limiting selective reactive oxygen species generation in high-salinity matrices. Here we show a molecular oxygen confinement ladder strategy by developing a conductive aeration membrane cathode in which boron nitride spontaneously forms wedge-shaped structures inside carbon nanotubes. This architecture achieves kinetic antiwetting and physical oxygen confinement at the nanoscale, accelerating Fe(Ⅱ)/Fe(Ⅲ) cycling and directing the pathway to dominant singlet oxygen (1O2) generation. Experiments and simulations demonstrate fivefold faster degradation kinetics, complete sulfamethoxazole removal within 15 min, and sustained high efficiency over 48 h of continuous operation, including a switch to real NF concentrate. The structure-oriented gas confinement approach thus offers a robust platform for selective and stable EF treatment of complex industrial wastewater.}
}