Nanoconfined Cu─O─Mo Asymmetric Sites Enable Ambient Spontaneous O₂-to-¹O₂ Conversion for Sustainable Water Purification.

ABSTRACT: The selective activation of molecular oxygen (O₂) to singlet oxygen (¹O₂) represents a sustainable route for green oxidation yet remains fundamentally challenged by spin-forbidden transitions and kinetic trapping of superoxide intermediates. Here, an asymmetric Cu⁺─O─Mo⁶⁺ dual-site embedded within a nanoconfined membrane is constructed that drives spontaneous O₂-to-¹O₂ conversion under ambient conditions, achieving 95.2% selectivity without additional energy inputs. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that electron-rich Cu⁺ sites facilitate spin-selective electron transfer to adsorbed O₂ while adjacent Mo⁶⁺ sites stabilize Cu⁺ species and facilitate t

SUBMITTER: Ye J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12822532 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature