Enhanced Fenton-like catalysis and antimicrobial activity of bimetallic nanocomposite functionalized hierarchical nanofibrous membranes

A hierarchical nanofibrous membrane functionalized with CoO-ZnO nanocomposites was developed to efficiently degrade organic pollutants and inhibit pathogenic microorganisms in water. The membrane's stable structure minimized metal ionic leaching during degradation processes. Fabricated using a combination of electrospinning and hydrothermal growth, the membrane demonstrated enhanced degradation and antimicrobial properties. At a dosage of 0.2 mg/mL with 25 mM H 2 O 2 , the membrane achieved 99.5% removal of methylene green oxalate within 9 min, with a rate constant of 0.5748 min −1 and a mineralization rate of 39.2%, demonstrating excellent degradation performance. Moreover, the membrane exhibited exceptional bacteriostatic activity, inhibiting Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by 98.95% and 98.76%, respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that the CoO-ZnO heterojunction enhanced ROS generation, with O 2 • − as the dominant species, enabling both dye degradation and antibacterial activity through a unified oxidative mechanism. XRD analysis and cyclic degradation tests confirmed structural stability, with 86.6% efficiency retained after three cycles. The hierarchical architecture, combining the CoO-ZnO nanocomposite heterojunction and nanofibrous support, improves interaction with pollutants and bacteria while minimizing catalyst loss. This study highlights a new strategy for designing bimetallic Fenton-like nanofibrous membranes with integrated degradation and antimicrobial functions, providing guidance for advancing catalytic water treatment materials.