Benzene oxidation with ozone over manganese oxide supported on zeolite catalysts

Fundamental insights and recent advances in catalytic oxidation processes using ozone for the control of volatile organic compounds

The development of technologies for highly efficient treatment of emissions containing low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains an important challenge. Catalytic oxidation with ozone (catalytic ozonation) is useful for the oxidative decomposition of VOCs, particularly aromatic compounds, under ambient temperature conditions. Only inexpensive transition metal oxides are required as catalysts, and Mn-based catalysts are widely used for catalytic ozonation. This review describes the oxidation reaction mechanisms, reaction pathways of aromatic hydrocarbons, and dependence of the catalytic ozonation activity on the reaction conditions. The reasons why Mn oxides are effective in catalytic ozonation are also explained. The structure of the catalytic active sites and the types of supporting materials contributing to the reaction are also discussed in detail, with the aim of establishing a VOC control technology. In addition, recent progress in catalytic oxidation processes using ozone as an oxidant has been outlined, focusing on catalyst materials and reaction conditions.

Non-thermal plasma mitigation of low concentration of air pollutants: removal of isopropyl alcohol using transition metal-oxide integration

The present work studied the decomposition of isopropyl alcohol (IPA), widely used in chemical industries and households, in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. Metal oxide (MOx) coated on γ-Al2O3 (M = Cu, Mn, Co) was utilized for packing. The plasma-packed mode was a likely alternative to the conventional removal techniques, as it aids the conversion of dilute concentrations of IPA to CO and CO2 at ambient conditions (room temperature and atmospheric pressure). The mean electron energy calculations suggest that electrons with higher energy are generated when the discharge zone is packed with catalysts. When comparing IPA conversion (input concentration of 25 ppm) for no packing mode and MOx/γ-Al2O3 coupled plasma mode, the latter method enhances conversion to greater than 90% at an applied voltage of 18 kV. Also, MOx/γ-Al2O3 showed the highest selectivity to CO2 (70%) compared to plasma-only mode (45%). The metal-oxide layer provides the necessary catalytic surface facilitating the oxidation of IPA to COx through active oxygen species or the interaction of surface hydroxyl groups. The use of MOx/γ-Al2O3 resulted in about 90% carbon balance and reduced ozone generation, demonstrating the significance of integrating metal oxide to achieve efficient conversion and maximal selectivity towards the desired products.

Mitigation of hazardous toluene via ozone-catalyzed oxidation using MnOx/Sawdust biochar catalyst

This study investigated catalytic ozone oxidation using a sawdust char (SDW) catalyst to remove hazardous toluene emitted from the chemical industry. The catalyst properties were analyzed by proximate, ultimate, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, Fourier-transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. In addition, hydrogen-temperature programmed reduction experiments were conducted to analyze the catalyst properties. The specific area and formation of micropores of SDC were improved by applying KOH treatment. MnOx/SDC-K3 exhibited a higher toluene removal efficiency of 89.7% after 100 min than MnOx supported on activated carbon (MnOx/AC) with a removal efficiency of 6.6%. The higher (O_ads (adsorbed oxygen)+O_v(vacancy oxygen))/O_L (lattice oxygen) and Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ ratios of MnOx/SDC-K3 than those of MnOx/AC seemed to be important for the catalytic oxidation of toluene.

Low Temperature Catalytic Oxidation of Ethanol Using Ozone over Manganese Oxide-Based Catalysts in Powdered and Monolithic Forms

Catalytic oxidation of low concentrations of ethanol was investigated in dry and humid air streams at low temperature (60 °C) over manganese oxide-based catalysts supported on a meso–macrostructured TiO2 using ozone as the oxidant. Ethanol was selected as a representative model VOC present in indoor air, and its concentration was fixed to 10 ppm. For that purpose, a series of Mn/TiO2 powder and monolithic catalysts was prepared, some doped with 0.5 wt% Pd. Whatever the catalyst, the presence of water vapor in the gas phase had a beneficial effect on the conversion of ethanol and ozone. The Pd–Mn/TiO2 catalyst containing 0.5 wt% Pd and 5 wt% Mn exhibited superior oxidation efficiency to the Mn/TiO2 counterparts by increasing ozone decomposition (77%) while simultaneously increasing the selectivity to CO2 (85%). The selectivity to CO2 approached nearly 100% by increasing the amount of catalyst from 20 to 80 mg. In a further step, alumina wash-coated cordierite honeycomb monoliths were coated with the 0.5Pd–5Mn/TiO2 catalyst. Full conversion of ethanol to CO2 without residual O3 emitted (less than 10 ppb) could be attained, thereby demonstrating that the proposed Pd–Mn/TiO2 monolithic catalyst fulfills the specifications required for onboard systems.

Catalytic ozonation of VOCs at low temperature: A comprehensive review

VOCs abatement has attracted increasing interest because of the detrimental effects on both atmospheric environment and human beings of VOCs. The assistance of ozone has enabled efficient VOCs removal at low temperature. Thereby, catalytic ozonation is considered as one of the most feasible and effective methods for VOCs elimination. This work systematically reviews the emerging advances of catalytic ozonation of different VOCs (i.e., aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated VOCs, chlorinated VOCs, sulfur-containing VOCs, and saturated alkanes) over various functional catalysts. General reaction mechanism of catalytic ozonation including both Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Mars-van-Krevelen mechanisms was proposed depending on the reactive oxygen species involving the reactions. The influence of reaction conditions (water vapor and temperature) is fully discussed. This review also introduces the enhanced VOCs oxidation via catalytic ozonation in the ozone-generating systems including plasma and vacuum ultraviolet. Lastly, the existing challenges of VOCs catalytic ozonation are presented, and the perspective of this technology is envisioned.

Pt/MnOx for toluene mineralization via ozonation catalysis at low temperature: SMSI optimization of surface oxygen species

The problem of deep oxidation of low concentrations of VOCs in industrial tail gas is exceptionally urgent. The preparation of VOCs ozonation catalyst with a high mineralization rate is still a challenge. In this paper, manganese oxide carriers with different morphologies were synthesized by simple methods and used to catalyze ozone mineralization of toluene after loading Pt nanoparticles efficiently. The conversion of toluene over Pt/MnO_x-T catalyst was more than 98 % at ambient temperature, and the mineralization rate of toluene was close to 100 % at 70 °C. Through a variety of characterization methods, the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between Pt nanoparticles and carriers was successfully constructed. It was found that SMSI successfully optimized the surface oxygen species and oxygen migration ability of the catalyst, and then realized the high degree of mineralization of toluene at low temperature. This paper guides the subsequent development of Pt-Mn catalysts for catalytic organic pollutants ozonation with high activity.

Ce-promoted Mn/ZSM-5 catalysts for highly efficient decomposition of ozone

Manganese oxides supported by ZSM-5 zeolite (Mn/ZSM-5) as well as their further modified by Ce promoter were achieved by simple impregnation method for ozone catalytic decomposition. The yCe20Mn/ZSM-5-81 catalyst with 8% Ce loading showed the highest catalytic activity at relative humidity of 50% and a space velocity of 360 L/(g × hr), giving 93% conversion of 600 ppm O₃ after 5 hr. Moreover, this sample still maintained highly activity and stability in humid air with 50%-70% relative humidity. Series of physicochemical characterization including X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed technology (NH₃-TPD and H₂-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and oxygen isotopic exchange were introduced to disclose the structure-performance relationship. The results indicated that moderate Si/Al ratio (81) of zeolite support was beneficial for ozone decomposition owing to the synergies of acidity and hydrophobicity. Furthermore, compared with 20Mn/ZSM-5-81, Ce doping could enhance the amount of low valance manganese (such as Mn²⁺ and Mn³⁺). Besides, the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ ratio of 8Ce20Mn/ZSM-5-81 sample was higher than that of 4Ce20Mn/ZSM-5-81. Additionally, the synergy between the MnO_x and CeO₂ could easily transfer electron via the redox cycle, thus resulting in an increased reducibility at low temperatures and high concentration of surface oxygen. This study provides important insights to the utilization of porous zeolite with high surface area to disperse active component of manganese for ozone decomposition.

Manganese supported on controlled dealumination Y-zeolite for ozone catalytic oxidation of low concentration toluene at low temperature

Low-temperature catalytic degradation of VOCs with ozone has received widespread attention recently. In this work, a combination method of steam and nitric acid was used to control the dealuminization of Y zeolite, and then manganese oxide was loaded on the Y zeolite by impregnation method. It was found that MnO_x was highly dispersed in the dealumination zeolite, and the adsorbed oxygens were more easily activated in the active oxygen vacancies. The MnO_x supported on dealumination Y zeolite showed better catalytic effect than that supported on the parent Y. At low humidity (0.8%) in 30 °C, the degradation efficiency of toluene reached above 94% by using the catalyst with mild dealumination. When more water vapor was introduced, the degradation of toluene was inhibited. However, the catalytic performance of the catalyst with deep dealumination was not affected. With the help of in-situ DRIFTS, it was observed that the intermediates and reaction by-products had changed under different humidity conditions.

Sintering- and oxidation-resistant ultrasmall Cu(I)/(II) oxides supported on defect-rich mesoporous alumina microspheres boosting catalytic ozonation

Supported copper oxides with well-dispersed metal species, small size, tunable valence and high stability are highly desirable in catalysis. Herein, novel copper oxide (CuO_x) catalysts supported on defect-rich mesoporous alumina microspheres are developed using a spray-drying-assisted evaporation induced self-assembly method. The catalysts possess a special structure composed of a mesoporous outer layer, a mesoporous-nanosphere-stacked under layer and a hollow cavity. Because of this special structure and the defective nature of the alumina support, the CuO_x catalysts are ultrasmall in size (1 ~ 3 nm), bivalent with a very high Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ ratio (0.7), and highly stable against sintering and oxidation at high temperatures (up to 800 °C), while the wet impregnation method results in CuO_x catalysts with much larger sizes (~15 nm) and lower the Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ ratios (~0.29). The catalyst formation mechanism through the spray drying method is proposed and discussed. The catalysts show remarkable performance in catalytic ozonation of phenol wastewaters. With high-concentration phenol (250 ppm) as the model organic pollutant, the optimized catalyst delivers promising catalytic performance with 100% phenol removal and 53% TOC removal in 60 min, and a high cyclic stability. Superoxide anion free radicals (⋅O₂^-), singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) are the predominant reactive species. A detailed structure-performance study reveals the surface hydroxyl groups and Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ redox couples play cooperatively to accelerate O₃ decomposition generating reactive radicals. The plausible catalytic O₃ decomposition mechanism is proposed and discussed with supportive evidences.

Facet Engineered α-MnO2 for Efficient Catalytic Ozonation of Odor CH3SH: Oxygen Vacancy-Induced Active Centers and Catalytic Mechanism

The oxygen vacancy in MnO₂ is normally proved as the reactive site for the catalytic ozonation, and acquiring a highly reactive crystal facet with abundant oxygen vacancy by facet engineering is advisable for boosting the catalytic activity. In this study, three facet-engineered α-MnO₂ was prepared and successfully utilized for catalytic ozonation toward an odorous CH₃SH. The as-synthesized 310-MnO₂ exhibited superior activity in catalytic ozonation of CH₃SH than that of 110-MnO₂ and 100-MnO₂, which could achieve 100% removal efficiency for 70 ppm of CH₃SH within 20 min. The results of XPS, Raman, H₂-TPR, and DFT calculation all prove that the (310) facets possess a higher surface energy than other facets can feature the construction of oxygen vacancies, thus facilitating the adsorption and activate O₃ into intermediate peroxide species (O^2-/O₂^2-) and reactive oxygen species (•O₂^-/¹O₂) for eliminating adjacent CH₃SH. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS) revealed that the CH₃SH molecular was chemisorbed on S atom to form CH₃S^-, which was further converted into intermediate CH₃SO₃^- and finally oxidized into SO₄^2- and CO₃^2-/CO₂ during the process. Attributed to the deep oxidation of CH₃SH on 310-MnO₂ via efficient cycling of active oxygen vacancies, the lifetime of 310-MnO₂ can be extended to 2.5 h with limited loss of activity, while 110-MnO₂ and 100-MnO₂ were inactivated within 1 h. This study deepens the comprehension of facet-engineering in MnO₂ and presents an efficient and portable catalyst to control odorous pollution.

Recent advances in volatile organic compounds abatement by catalysis and catalytic hybrid processes: A critical review

Air pollution, particularly for toxic and harmful compounds to humans and the environment, has aroused increasing public concerns. Among air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main sources of air pollution. Many attempts have been made to control VOCs using catalysts, plasma, photolysis, and adsorption. Among them, oxidative catalysis by noble metals or transition metal oxides is considered one of the most feasible and effective methods to control VOCs. This paper reviews the experimental achievements on the abatement of VOCs using noble metals, transition metals and modified metal oxide catalysts. Although the catalytic degradation of VOCs appears to be feasible, there are unavoidable problems when only catalysis treatments are applied to the field. Therefore, catalysts including hybrid processes are developed to improve the removal efficiency of VOCs. This review addresses new hybrid treatments to remove VOCs using catalysts, including hybrid treatment combined with plasma, photolysis, and adsorption. The mechanism of the oxidation of VOCs by catalysts is explained by adsorption-desorption principles, such as the Langmuir-Hinshelwood, Eley-Rideal, and Mars-van-Krevelen mechanisms. A π-backbonding interaction between unsaturated compounds and transition metals is introduced to better understand the mechanism of VOC removals. Finally, several factors affecting the catalytic activities, such as support, component ratio, preparation method, metal loading, and deactivation factor, are discussed.

Catalytic Ozonation of Nitrobenzene by Manganese-Based Y Zeolites

Catalytic ozonation process (COP) is considered as a cost-efficient technology for the treatment of refractory chemical wastewaters. The catalyst performance plays an important role for the treatment efficiency. The present study investigated efficiencies and mechanisms of manganese (Mn)-based Y zeolites in COPs for removing nitrobenzene from water. The catalysts of Mn/NaY and Mn/USY were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation, while Mn-USY was obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. Mn-USY contained a greater ratio of Mn2+ than Mn/NaY, and Mn/USY. Mn oxides loaded on Y zeolites promoted the COP efficiencies. Mn/NaY increased total organic carbon removal in COP by 7.3% compared to NaY, while Mn/USY and Mn-USY increased 11.5 and 15.8%, respectively, relative to USY in COP. Multivalent Mn oxides (Mn2+, Mn3+, and Mn4+) were highly dispersed on the surface of NaY or USY, and function as catalytic active sites, increasing mineralization. Mn-USY showed the highest total organic carbon removal (44.3%) in COP among the three catalysts, because Mn-USY had a higher ratio of Mn2+ to the total Mn oxides on the surface than Mn/NaY and Mn/USY and the catalytic effects from intercorrelations between Mn oxides and mesoporous surface structures. The hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals governed oxidations in COP using Mn-USY. Nitrobenzene was oxidized to polyhydroxy phenol, polyhydroxy nitrophenol, and p-benzoquinone. The intermediates were then oxidized to small organic acids and ultimately carbon dioxide and water. This study demonstrates the potential of Y zeolites used in COP for the treatment of refractory chemical wastewaters.

Preparation of Ce⁻Mn Composite Oxides with Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Removal of Benzene through Oxalate Method

The catalytic activities of CeO₂-MnO_x composite oxides synthesized through oxalate method were researched. The results exhibited that the catalytic properties of CeO₂-MnO_x composite oxides were higher than pure CeO₂ or MnO_x. When the Ce_at/Mn_at ratio was 3:7, the catalytic activity reached the best. In addition, the activities of CeO₂-MnO_x synthesized through different routes over benzene oxidation were also comparative researched. The result indicated that the catalytic property of sample prepared by oxalate method was better than others, which maybe closely related with their meso-structures. Meanwhile, the effects of synergistic interaction and oxygen species in the samples on the catalytic ability can’t be ignored.

Application of high silica zeolite ZSM-5 in a hybrid treatment process based on sequential adsorption and ozonation for VOCs elimination

In this study, a hydrophobic synthetic zeolite, namely ZSM-5 is chosen as an adsorbent/catalyst for toluene removal. Experimental results showed that toluene adsorption onto ZSM-5 was favourable, following a Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. ZSM-5 zeolite was regenerated using gaseous ozone at low temperature. Adsorbed toluene was oxidised, releasing mainly CO2 and H2O. Traces of oxidation by-products such as acetic acid and acetaldehyde were formed and remained adsorbed after the oxidativate regeneration with ozone. After four successive cycles of adsorption/ozonation, the adsorption efficiency was not affected (92%-99%). These results showed that volatile organic compound (VOC) removal by adsorption onto ZSM-5 zeolite followed by ozone regeneration could be used as a promising hybrid process for the control of VOC emissions in terms of efficiency.

Conversion characteristics and production evaluation of styrene/o-xylene mixtures removed by DBD pretreatment

The combination of chemical oxidation methods with biotechnology to removal recalcitrant VOCs is a promising technology. In this paper, the aim was to identify the role of key process parameters and biodegradability of the degradation products using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, which provided the fundamental data to evaluate the possibilities of the combined system. Effects of various technologic parameters like initial concentration of mixtures, residence time and relative humidity on the decomposition and the degradation products were examined and discussed. It was found that the removal efficiency of mixed VOCs decreased with increasing initial concentration. The removal efficiency reached the maximum value as relative humidity was approximately 40%-60%. Increasing the residence time resulted in increasing the removal efficiency and the order of destruction efficiency of VOCs followed the order styrene > o-xylene. Compared with the single compounds, the removal efficiency of styrene and o-xylene in the mixtures of VOCs decreased significantly and o-xylene decreased more rapidly. The degradation products were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the main compounds detected were O3, COx and benzene ring derivatives. The biodegradability of mixed VOCs was improved and the products had positive effect on biomass during plasma application, and furthermore typical results indicated that the biodegradability and biotoxicity of gaseous pollutant were quite depending on the specific input energy (SIE).

Comparison of catalytic properties of supported metal oxides for benzene oxidation using ozone

The oxidation behavior of intermediate compounds is the key factor for controlling the catalytic activities.

Oxidative regeneration of toluene-saturated natural zeolite by gaseous ozone: the influence of zeolite chemical surface characteristics

In this study, the effect of zeolite chemical surface characteristics on the oxidative regeneration of toluene saturated-zeolite samples is investigated. A Chilean natural zeolite (53% clinoptilolite, 40% mordenite and 7% quartz) was chemically modified by acid treatment with hydrochloric acid and by ion-exchange with ammonium sulphate. Thermal pre-treatments at 623 and 823K were applied and six zeolite samples with different chemical surface characteristics were generated. Chemical modification of natural zeolite followed by thermal out-gassing allows distinguishing the role of acidic surface sites on the regeneration of exhausted zeolites. An increase in Brønsted acid sites on zeolite surface is observed as a result of ammonium-exchange treatment followed by thermal treatment at 623K, thus increasing the adsorption capacity toward toluene. High ozone consumption could be associated to a high content of Lewis acid sites, since these could decompose ozone into atomic active oxygen species. Then, surface oxidation reactions could take part among adsorbed toluene at Brønsted acid sites and surface atomic oxygen species, reducing the amount of adsorbed toluene after the regenerative oxidation with ozone. Experimental results show that the presence of adsorbed oxidation by-products has a negative impact on the recovery of zeolite adsorption capacity.

Ozone catalytic oxidation of adsorbed benzene over AgMn/HZSM-5 catalysts at room temperature

Investigation of ozone catalytic oxidation of adsorbed benzene over AgMn/HZSM-5 to provide insight into plasma catalytic oxidation of adsorbed benzene in the cycled storage–discharge process.

Enhanced effect of water vapor on complete oxidation of formaldehyde in air with ozone over MnOx catalysts at room temperature

At room temperature, the enhanced effect of water vapor on ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) of formaldehyde to CO2 over MnOx catalysts and the reaction stability was reported. In a dry air stream, only below 20% of formaldehyde could be oxidized into CO2 by O3. In humid air streams (RH≥55%), ∼100% of formaldehyde were oxidized into CO2 by O3 and the reaction stability was significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, in situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectra of OZCO of HCHO demonstrate that the amount of both monodentate and bidentate carbonate species on MnOx, in the dry stream, increased gradually with time on stream (TOS). However, in the humid stream, almost no accumulation of carbonate species on the catalysts was observed. To clarify the enhanced mechanism, formaldehyde surface reactions and CO2 adsorption/desorption on the fresh, O3 and O3+H2O treated MnOx catalysts were examined comparatively.