Biomass conversion to amyloid fibrillation for maximizing non-metallic electrocatalysis activity: Mechanisms, real antibiotic wastewater validation, and life cycle assessment

Biomass-derived non-metallic electrocatalysis offers a sustainable strategy for pollutant degradation; however, its practical implementation is often hindered by unclear activation mechanisms, limited selectivity, and weak catalytic activity. In this study, we developed an innovative approach to transform common biomass waste into amyloid-like fibrils process (ANFs), thereby maximizing the electrocatalytic performance of metal-free manner. The distinctive ultra-high aspect ratio of ANFs facilitates extensive exposure of active sites, while abundant amino acid-derived N/O-doped defects synergistically enhance the three-electron oxygen reduction pathway, enabling efficient generation of reactive oxygen species. When applied to real high-salinity aquaculture wastewater containing tetracycline (TC), the resulting ANF-based catalysts (ANFCs) demonstrated outstanding degradation efficiency (>85 %) across a wide pH range (3–9), achieving a TC oxidation rate three times higher than that of conventional carbon cloth. The ANFCs delivered a catalytic performance of 22.0 g TC g −1 catalyst A −1 h −1 , on par with many metal-based catalysts. Furthermore, compared to traditional electro-Fenton systems, the ANFC-enabled electro-assisted oxidation processes (ANFC-EAOPs) supported continuous treatment of marine aquaculture wastewater while reducing sludge generation by 90 %. A comprehensive life cycle assessment confirmed the system scalability and environmental sustainability, underscoring its potential as a robust, versatile, and metal-free solution for advanced wastewater treatment and diverse application.