Temperature-regulated smart transition from heterogeneous to homogeneous Fenton-like catalysis for selective degradation of antibiotics

Fenton catalyst plays a significant role in Fenton-reaction mediated water treatment. Herein, three ferrocene-containing polymers have been prepared as smart Fenton catalysts capable of switching between homogeneous and heterogeneous phases for degrading complex water pollutants. Specifically, at 25℃, the smart catalyst is hydrophilic and parallels the catalytic behavior of correspondingly homogeneous one. While at 50℃, the smart catalyst aligns with the performance of heterogeneous one, showing a catalytic preference towards hydrophobic pollutants. The catalytic mechanism of all three catalysts are based on generated superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen, of which generation is not affected by temperatures. Notably, the polymeric Fenton-catalyst displayed a super tolerance towards salts. Our study provides a possibility of degrading complex water pollutants with one smart catalyst. [Display omitted] •Three kinds of catalysts were prepared by free radical polymerization under mild conditions.•Smart catalyst combines the advantages of homogeneous catalyst and heterogeneous catalyst.•The Fenton-like reaction catalyzed by smart catalyst has a good tolerance to inorganic salts.