Synthesis of an Fe rich amorphous structure with a catalytic effect to rapidly decolorize azo dye at room temperature

In this article, an amorphous Fe rich amorphous structure designed based on a competitive atomic cluster model was synthesized and characterized successfully. The constituent zero-valent iron (ZVI) has excellent activity and efficiency for decolorization of Orange G (OG) solution at room temperature. The decolorization is characterized by UV-vis spectrum and pseudo-first-order kinetics. The X-ray Micro fluorescence spectrometer, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry, and Scanning Electron Microscope were employed to trace the ZVI. The consumption of ZVI destabilizes the local atomic arrangement and yields the phase separation of Fe at the surface and responds to the high activity and the catalysis for decolorization. This observation is in accordance with the change of k₁ 0.011 min^-1 to k₂ 0.047 min^-1, which is supported by the cyclic decolorization test. This work provides a new strategy to design multifunctional metal materials and indicates their brilliant future in practical applications. © 2014 American Chemical Society.