Fe-based metallic glasses as efficient oxygen scavengers

Ubiquitous oxygen drives degradation, spoilage, and side reactions, making oxygen scavenging essential for materials preservation and reaction stabilization. However, conventional oxygen scavengers exhibit limited oxygen removal rates and capacities far below their theoretical maximums, wasting resources while lagging behind industry needs. Here, we report Fe-based metallic glasses as efficient oxygen scavengers, achieving oxygen removal rates 1–4 orders of magnitude higher than conventional systems. In FeSiB metallic glass, Fe oxidation synergistically activates Si, delivering a 24-hour oxygen removal capacity of 1.439 L g-1—reaching the Fe-based theoretical limit—and a 48-hour capacity of 1.596 L g-1, surpassing it. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the amorphous structure significantly lowers the oxygen adsorption energy barrier and facilitates O–O bond cleavage. Moreover, the generated self-reinforcing microdomains mediate O2/H2O transport via robust autocatalytic cycling. These results highlight a promising strategy for oxygen potential control and suggest a possible paradigm for catalytic applications. Fe-based metallic glasses are reported as efficient oxygen scavengers, achieving removal rates 1–4 orders of magnitude higher than conventional systems through rapid adsorption and autocatalytic effect, while approaching theoretical capacity limits.