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

Unveiling the Role of Strong Metal-Support Interactions in Gold-Catalyzed CO Oxidation on MnO2 Polymorphs

The effectiveness of gold (Au)-based catalysts in CO oxidation is significantly influenced by strong metal-support interactions with surface oxygen structures, the mechanisms of which remain elusive. To investigate this property, we selected γ-MnO2, featuring Mn(-O-)2Mn and Mn-O-Mn structural motifs, and β-MnO2, characterized by Mn-O-Mn linkages, as support materials. The CO oxidation process was investigated by fabricating Au nanoparticles supported on these two MnO2 polymorphs. Our findings reveal that Au supported on β-MnO2 substantially enhanced CO oxidation, in stark contrast to the inhibitory effect observed with Au on γ-MnO2. Using operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy coupled with mass spectrometry, we detected an increase in the production of surface-adsorbed oxygen following Au deposition on β-MnO2. Conversely, Au supported on γ-MnO2 resulted in a diminished capacity for surface oxygen adsorption. The presence of Au+ and Mn2+ ions was identified as pivotal for CO oxidation. Moreover, the engagement of the Mn(-O-)2Mn structure in the reaction was impaired after Au loading on γ-MnO2, and the regeneration of the Mn-O-Mn linkage was similarly hindered. We propose a mechanism for the interactions between Au and the oxygen species associated with Mn(-O-)2Mn and Mn-O-Mn structures on MnO2, offering insights into the divergent catalytic behaviors exhibited by different MnO2 polymorphs.

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.

Enhancement Effect Induced by the Second Metal to Promote Ozone Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs

It is a promising research direction to develop catalysts with high stability and ozone utilization for low-temperature ozone catalytic oxidation of VOCs. While bimetallic catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic activity compared with conventional single noble metal catalysts, limited success has been achieved in the influence of the bimetallic effect on the stability and ozone utilization of metal catalysts. Herein, it is necessary to systematically study the enhancement effect in the ozone catalytic reaction induced by the second metal. With a simple continuous impregnation method, a platinum-cerium bimetallic catalyst is prepared. Also highlighted are studies from several aspects of the contribution of the second metal (Ce) to the stability and ozone utilization of the catalysts, including the "electronic effect" and "geometric effect". The synergistic removal rate of toluene and ozone is nearly 100% at 30 °C, and it still shows positive stability after high humidity and a long reaction time. More importantly, the instructive significance, which is the in-depth knowledge of enhanced catalytic mechanism of bimetallic catalysts resulting from a second metal, is provided by this work.

Engineering the Crystal Facet of Monoclinic NiO for Efficient Catalytic Ozonation of Toluene

Modulating oxygen vacancies of catalysts through crystal facet engineering is an innovative strategy for boosting the activity for ozonation of catalytic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this work, three kinds of facet-engineered monoclinic NiO catalysts were successfully prepared and utilized for catalytic toluene ozonation (CTO). Density functional theory calculations revealed that Ni vacancies were more likely to form preferentially than O vacancies on the (110), (100), and (111) facets of monoclinic NiO due to the stronger Ni-vacancy formation ability, further affecting O-vacancy formation. Extensive characterizations demonstrated that Ni vacancies significantly promoted the formation of O vacancies and thus reactive oxygen species in the (111) facet of monoclinic NiO, among the three facets. The performance evaluation showed that the monoclinic NiO catalyst with a dominant (111) facet exhibits excellent performance for CTO, achieving a toluene conversion of ∼100% at 30 °C after reaction for 120 min under 30 ppm toluene, 210 ppm ozone, 45% relative humidity, and a space velocity of 120 000 h-1. This outperformed the previously reported noble/non-noble metal oxide catalysts used for CTO at room temperature. This study provided novel insight into the development of highly efficient facet-engineered catalysts for the elimination of catalytic VOCs.

Insight into the Metal-Support Interaction of Pt and β-MnO2 in CO Oxidation

Pt-based catalysts exhibit unique catalytic properties in many chemical reactions. In particular, metal-support interactions (MSI) greatly improve catalytic activity. However, the current MSI mechanism between platinum (Pt) and the support is not clear enough. In this paper, the interaction of 1 wt% Pt nanoparticles (NPs) on β-MnO2 in carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation was studied. The Pt on β-MnO2 inhibited CO oxidation below 210 °C but promoted it above 210 °C. A Pt/β-MnO2 catalyst contains more Pt4+ and less Pt2+. The results of operando DRIFTS-MS show that surface-terminal-type oxygen (M=O) plays an important role in CO oxidation. When the temperature was below 210 °C, Mn=O consumption on Pt/β-MnO2 was less than β-MnO2 due to Pt4+ inhibition on CO oxidation. When the temperature was above 210 °C, Pt4+ was reduced to Pt2+, and Mn=O consumption due to CO oxidation was greater than β-MnO2. The interaction of Pt and β-MnO2 is proposed.

Size Effect of Platinum Nanoparticles over Platinum-Manganese Oxide on the Low-Temperature Oxidation of Toluene

The effect of size of Pt nanoparticles has an important influence on the performance of supported Pt-based catalysts for the elimination of toluene. Herein, uniform Pt nanoparticles with average sizes of 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 2.9, and 3.6 nm were obtained and supported on manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieves (OMS-2), and their catalytic performances for toluene oxidation were evaluated. Benefiting from the moderate interfacial interaction between nanoparticles and manganese oxide support, Pt/OMS-2-3 with the Pt particle size of 3.0 nm showed the best catalytic performance owing to the highest content of Pt2+ species. It also facilitates the formation of more abundant Mnδ+ (Mn2+ and Mn3+) and oxygen vacancies than that of the other sizes of the OMS-2-supported Pt nanoparticles, which can be filled by a large amount of adsorbed oxygen and converted into reactive oxygen species. We further showed that the resulting surface synergetic oxygen vacancies (Pt2+-Ov-Mnδ+) play a decisive part in catalyzing the complete oxidation of toluene. The result will provide new insights for designing efficient Pt-based catalysts for deep purification of toluene.

To promote catalytic ozonation of toluene by tuning Brönsted acid sites via introducing alkali metals into the OMS-2-SO42-/ZSM-5 catalyst

Although free hydroxyl radical (·OH) generated on OMS-2-based catalysts during the catalytic ozonation process have been shown as important reactive oxygen species (ROSs) for toluene degradation, improvement of surface ·OH formation ability remains challenging. Here, Na, K, Rb, and Cs-OMS-2-SO₄^2-/ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared, characterized and evaluated for catalytic ozonation of toluene. Both characterizations and DFT calculations showed that the appropriate alkali metal introduction made the catalyst possess with appropriate crystalline, reducibility, and acidity, which was favorable for catalytic ozonation of toluene. Characterizations also showed that alkali metal introduction resulted in water molecule adsorption on Brönsted acid sites of the catalysts, which made water molecule activation by ozone to form ·OH more easily. The introduction of K⁺ content of ∼ 5.9 wt% yielded K-OMS-2-SO₄^2-/ZSM-5 catalyst with the highest Brönsted acid sites and thus formed the most ·OH among the five prepared catalysts. As a result, the catalyst exhibited excellent toluene conversion and CO_x selectivity for catalytic ozonation of toluene at room temperature and ambient humidity. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of deactivated K-OMS-2-SO₄^2-/ZSM-5 catalyst was recovered after regeneration by a combination of water washing and heat treatment. Finally, a complete mechanism for toluene catalytic ozonation, catalyst deactivation, and regeneration was proposed.

Thermal Annealing Induced Surface Oxygen Vacancy Clusters in α-MnO2 Nanowires for Catalytic Ozonation of VOCs at Ambient Temperature

Catalytic ozonation has gained considerable interest in volatile organic compound (VOC) elimination due to its mild reaction conditions. However, the low activity and mineralization rate of VOCs over catalysts hinder its practical application. Herein, a series of α-MnO2 nanowire catalysts were prepared via thermal annealing treatment at various temperatures to tailor defect species. Numerous characterization techniques were used and combined to investigate the relationship between activity and microstructure. PALS and XAFS indicated that more unsaturated manganese and oxygen vacancies, especially surface oxygen vacancy clusters, were produced in α-MnO2 under the optimal high calcination temperature. As a result, MnO2-600 was found to exhibit the best-ever performance in toluene conversion (95%) and mineralization rate (89.5%) at 20 °C, making it a promising candidate for practical use. The roles of these defects in manipulating the reactive oxygen species of α-MnO2 were clarified by quantifying the amounts of reactive oxygen species by quenching experiments and density functional theory calculations. 1O2 and ·OH species generated in the vicinity of oxygen vacancy clusters, especially the dimer oxygen vacancy cluster, were identified as key oxygen species in the abatement of toluene. This study provides a facile method to engineer the microstructure of MnO2 by means of the manipulation of oxygen vacancies and an in-depth understanding of their roles in the catalytic ozonation of VOC.

Thermal-Driven Optimization of the Strong Metal-Support Interaction of a Platinum-Manganese Oxide Octahedral Molecular Sieve to Promote Toluene Oxidation: Effect of the Interface Pt2+-Ov-Mnδ. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022;14:56790-56800. [PMID: 36524882 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c16923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) have a significant effect on the performance of supported noble-metal catalysts for volatile organic compound (VOC) elimination. Herein, the strength of the SMSI of Pt/OMS-2 between Pt and the OMS-2 support is regulated by simply changing calcination temperatures, and the catalyst calcined at 300 °C (Pt/OMS-2-300) performs the best in the catalytic combustion of toluene. Through systematic structural characterizations, it is revealed that much more Pt²⁺-O_v-Mn^δ+ species are formed in Pt/OMS-2-300, which can help facilitate the generation of more reactive oxygen species and promote lattice oxygen mobility. Moreover, the results of in situ DRIFTS experiments further confirm that abundant Pt²⁺-O_v-Mn^δ+ species at the Pt-MnO₂ interface on Pt/OMS-2-300 can better enhance the adsorption and activation of toluene, thus boosting the catalytic performance in toluene combustion. This newly developed strategy of thermal-driven regulation of the SMSI provides a novel perspective for constructing highly efficient catalysts for VOC emission control.

Promoting the Catalytic Ozonation of Toluene by Introducing SO42- into the α-MnO2/ZSM-5 Catalyst to Tune Both Oxygen Vacancies and Acid Sites

Mn-based catalysts hold the promise of practical applications in catalytic ozonation of toluene at room temperature, yet improvement of toluene conversion and CO_x selectivity remains challenging. Here, an innovative α-MnO₂/ZSM-5 catalyst modified with SO₄^2- was successfully prepared, and both characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that SO₄^2- introduction facilitated the formation of oxygen vacancies, Lewis and Brönsted acid sites, and active oxygen species and enhanced the adsorption ability of toluene on α-MnO₂/ZSM-5. Characterizations also showed that SO₄^2- introduction made the catalyst possess larger specific surface area, superior reducibility, and stronger surface acidity. As a result, α-MnO₂/ZSM-5 with a S/Mn molar ratio of 0.019 exhibited the best toluene conversion and CO_x selectivity, 87 and 94%, respectively, after the reaction for 8 h at 30 °C under an initial concentration of 5 ppm toluene and 45 ppm ozone, relative humidity of 45%, and space velocity of 32,000 h^-1, far superior to those of non-noble catalysts reported to date under comparable reaction conditions. The synergistic role of increased oxygen vacancies and acid sites of α-MnO₂/ZSM-5 modified with SO₄^2- resulted in excellent toluene conversion and CO_x selectivity. The findings represented a critical step toward the rational design and synthesis of highly efficient catalysts for catalytic ozonation of toluene.

Review on Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs at Ambient Temperature

As an important air pollutant, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. To achieve energy saving, carbon reduction, and safe and efficient degradation of VOCs, ambient temperature catalytic oxidation has become a hot topic for researchers. Firstly, this review systematically summarizes recent progress on the catalytic oxidation of VOCs with different types. Secondly, based on nanoparticle catalysts, cluster catalysts, and single-atom catalysts, we discuss the influence of structural regulation, such as adjustment of size and configuration, metal doping, defect engineering, and acid/base modification, on the structure-activity relationship in the process of catalytic oxidation at ambient temperature. Then, the effects of process conditions, such as initial concentration, space velocity, oxidation atmosphere, and humidity adjustment on catalytic activity, are summarized. It is further found that nanoparticle catalysts are most commonly used in ambient temperature catalytic oxidation. Additionally, ambient temperature catalytic oxidation is mainly applied in the removal of easily degradable pollutants, and focuses on ambient temperature catalytic ozonation. The activity, selectivity, and stability of catalysts need to be improved. Finally, according to the existing problems and limitations in the application of ambient temperature catalytic oxidation technology, new prospects and challenges are proposed.

Elucidating the role of confinement and shielding effect over zeolite enveloped Ru catalysts for propane low temperature degradation

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main precursor for ozone formation and hazardous to human health. Light alkane as one of the typical VOCs is difficult to degrade to CO₂ and H₂O by catalytic degradation method due to its strong C-H bond. Herein, a series of ultrafine Ru nanoclusters (<0.95 nm) enveloped in silicalite-1 (S-1) zeolite catalysts were designed and prepared by a simple one-pot method and applied for catalytic degradation of propane. The results demonstrate that the enveloped Ru₁@S-1 catalyst has excellent propane degradation performance. Its T₉₅ is as low as 294 °C with moisture, and the turnover frequency (TOF) value is up to 5.07 × 10^-3 s^-1, evidently higher than that of the comparison supported catalyst (Ru₁/S-1). Importantly, Ru₁@S-1 exhibits superior thermal stability, water resistance and recyclability, which should be attributed to the confinement and shielding effect of the S-1 shell. The in-situ DRIFTS result reveals that the propane degradation over Ru₁@S-1 follows the Mars-van-Krevelen (MvK) mechanism, where the hydroxy from the framework of zeolite can provide the active oxygen species. Our work provides a new candidate and guideline for an efficient and stable catalyst for the low-temperature degradation of the light alkane VOCs.

Interaction between Nickel Oxide and Support Promotes Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with C3H6

Selective catalytic reduction of NO x by C 3 H 6 (C 3 H 6 -SCR) was investigated over NiO catalysts supported on different metaloxides. A NiAlO x mixed oxide phase was formed over NiO/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst, inducing an immediate interaction between NiO x and AlO x species. Such interaction resulted in a charge transfer from Ni to Al site and the formation of Ni species in high oxidation state. In comparison to other NiO-loaded catalysts, NiO/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst exhibited the highest NO x conversion at temperature higher than 450 °C, but a poor C 3 H 6 oxidation activity due to the decreased nucleophilicity for surface oxygen species. By temperatureprogramed NO oxidation, it is indicated that nitrate species were rapidly formed and stably maintained at high temperature over NiO/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. In situ transient reactions further verified the LangmuirHinshelwood mechanism for C 3 H 6 -SCR, where both gaseous NO and C 3 H 6 were adsorbed and activated on catalyst surface and reacted to generate N 2 . Due to the strong metal-support interaction over NiO/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst, both nitrate and C x H y O z intermediates were well preserved to attain high C 3 H 6 -SCR activity.

Unravelling the intrinsic synergy between Pt and MnOx supported on porous calcium silicate during toluene oxidation

Developing efficient catalysts that enhance electronic interactions between active metal sites is a promising strategy for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).