Dual-site interfacial synergy in catalytic ozonation: Oxygen vacancy driven ozone activation and Lewis acid-base mediated pollutant enrichment over zirconia membranes.

Catalytic ozonation is a promising technology for the treatment of complex biological waters, yet its application is often limited by low ozone utilization efficiency and the risk of cell rupture under excessive oxidation conditions. Herein, yttria-doped zirconia catalytic ceramic membranes (Y-ZRCMs) with different Y contents were fabricated to engineer catalytic interfaces with enhanced ozone activation capability. Y doping stabilized the tetragonal/cubic ZRCMs and generated abundant oxygen vacancies, which regulated the surface Lewis acid-base properties and interfacial electronic structure. Oxygen vacancies promoted ozone activation and hydroxyl radical generation, whereas enhanced Lewis acid-base interactions facilitated pollutant enrichment and degradation at the catalytic interface. Among the ZRCMs, 5Y-ZRCM exhibited the best performance, achieving removal efficiencies of 69.4% for geosmin (GSM) and 59.4% for 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), while maintaining algal cell retention above 99%. Catalytic ozonation effectively alleviated membrane fouling by reducing reversible fouling resistance and suppressing cake layer formation. In addition, degradation pathway analysis and ECOSAR evaluation demonstrated the progressive transformation of GSM and 2-MIB into less toxic products. This work provides an effective strategy for odor control and fouling mitigation in complex biological water treatment.