This research unveils the remarkable capability of surface-activated Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 metallic glass (SA-MG)
in rapidly decolorizing the acid orange II (AO II) azo dye solution. The novel chemical surface activation (CSA)
process forms a heterogenous Cu-rich layer with nanoscale Cu particles on the Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 metallic glass
(MG). Despite the limited number of newly formed particles and their partial coverage of the MG surface, the SA
MG can completely decolor the AO II solution in just one minute, a speed more than 25 times faster than the as
received MG. This enhanced performance is attributed to the local galvanic-cell-enhanced bimetal Fenton-like
reactions and the activated surface topography. Furthermore, the activated MG surface can form caducous
flakes and a sizeable new surface area that might favor surface self-cleaning and dye adsorption. The surface
activated Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 metallic glass ribbons exhibited a high degradation rate constant k (1.4~7.4)
and good reusability (13 cycles with k higher than 1.2). This discovery presents a rapid and cost-effective surface
activation for Fe-based MG, offering a promising strategy for rapidly treating printing and dying wastewater.
论文链接：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.105938
