A polymer-coated nanowire sponge–based contact electrocatalytic system for simultaneous disinfection and removal of multiple micropollutants

The removal of diverse contaminants in wastewater remains a major challenge due to low treatment efficiencies, high catalyst costs, and risks of residual chemicals. In this work, we introduce a polymer-coated nanowire sponge (PNS) based contact electro-catalysis (CEC) system for achieving the disinfection of microorganisms and the degradation of multiple micropollutants. Under ultrasonic stimulation, PNS facilitates interfacial electron transfer and generates a high rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its synergistic ROS generation and static charge electroporation achieve over 99% disinfection within 3 minutes while degrading dyes, waste tire leachate, and reducing heavy metal ions in wastewater under ambient conditions. The system also exhibits a high hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production rate of 20.2 ± 0.1 μmol h⁻¹. Furthermore, PNS demonstrates excellent versatility, ease of recovery, and reusability, highlighting its strong potential for both point-of-use and large-scale wastewater treatment applications. A polymer-coated nanowire sponge utilizes mechanical energy to produce reactive oxygen species, enabling rapid disinfection and removal of diverse pollutants from water without added chemicals or rare metals.