Boron-based materials in advanced oxidation processes: From electron deficiency to catalytic versatility

Abstract

Being favorable replacements for traditional metal-based catalysts, boronbased materials have gained increasing attention in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for water decontamination, benefiting from their unique electron-deficient 2 structure, strong covalent bonding, excellent chemical stability, and minimal metal leaching. This review comprehensively examines four representative categories of boron-based materials (including elemental boron, metal borides, boron-doped diamond (BDD), and boron nitride) from the fundamental physicochemical properties to their specific applications in various AOPs. Furthermore, the intrinsic mechanisms underlying structure-activity relationships of various boron-based materials, covering electron donation driven metal redox cycling, dual active site synergistic catalysis, and nanoconfined interfacial reactions, are critically elucidated. Finally, the critical challenges impeding the practical implementation of boron-based materials are identified and future research directions are proposed. It is expected that this review can provide a comprehensive reference framework and new inspiration for the scientific design and engineering application of boron-based materials in water remediation.