Catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene over noble metals (Pd, Pt, Ru, Rh) and the distributions of polychlorinated by-products

A review of non-thermal plasma -catalysis: The mutual influence and sources of synergetic effect for boosting volatile organic compounds removal

This review is aimed at researchers in air pollution control seeking to understand the latest advancements in volatile organic compound (VOC) removal. Implementing of plasma-catalysis technology for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) led to a significant boost in terms of degradation yield and mineralization rate with low by-product formation. The plasma-catalysis combination can be used in two distinct ways: (I) the catalyst is positioned downstream of the plasma discharge, known as the "post plasma catalysis configuration" (PPC), and (II) the catalyst is located in the plasma zone and exposed directly to the discharge, called "in plasma catalysis configuration" (IPC). Coupling these two technologies, especially for VOCs elimination has attracted the interest of many researchers in recent years. The term "synergy" is widely reported in their works and associated with the positive effect of the plasma catalysis combination. This review paper investigates the state of the art of newly published papers about catalysis, photocatalysis, non-thermal plasma, and their combination for VOC removal application. The focus is on understanding different synergy sources operating mutually between plasma and catalysis discussed and classified into two main parts: the effect of the plasma discharge on the catalyst and the effect of the catalyst on plasma discharge. This approach has the potential for application in air purification systems for industrial processes or indoor environments.

Heat-resistant boron-nitrogen doped lignin-derived adsorbent-catalyst for gaseous aromatic pollutants removal

Lignin-based carbon material can be utilized as carbonaceous adsorbents for the removal of toxic gaseous organic pollutants, while the poor heat-resistance limited its widely application. Here in, B-N co-doped lignin carbon (BN-C) with high thermal stability was synthesized, and the optimized BN-C (1:2) exhibited notably improved heat resistance with the decomposition temperature up to 505 °C, and excellent adsorption capacity for o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) (1510.0 mg/g) and toluene (947.3 mg/g), together with good cyclic stability over 10 cycles for o-dichlorobenzene. The existence of abundant hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) with good thermal conductivity contributed to the superior heat-resistance of BN-C (1:2), and the high specific surface area (1764.5 m2/g), enriched hydroxyl functional groups and improved graphitization degree contributed to its enhanced adsorption performance. More importantly, BN-C (1:2) supported Ru could effectively remove o-DCB and toluene at wide temperature range (50-300 °C). The present work guided the development of heat-resistant lignin-derived adsorbent-catalyst for gaseous aromatic pollutants removal, which benefits both environmental protection and resource utilization.

Weakened Mn-O bond in Mn-Ce catalysts through K doping induced oxygen activation for boosting benzene oxidation at low temperatures

K-doped Mn-Ce solid solution catalysts were synthesized using a combination of coprecipitation and hydrothermal methods, demonstrating excellent performance in benzene oxidation. The catalyst K1Ce5Mn5 exhibited comparable activity to noble metal catalysts, achieving a 90 % benzene conversion at approximately 194 ℃. Durable tests under dry and moist conditions revealed that the catalyst could maintain its activity for 50 h at 218 ℃ and 236 ℃, respectively. Characterization results indicated that the catalyst's enhanced activity resulted from the weakened Mn-O bonding caused by the introduction of K+, facilitating the activation of oxygen and its involvement in the reaction. CeOx, the main crystalline phase of Mn-Ce solid solutions, provided abundant oxygen vacancies for capturing and activating oxygen molecules for the weakened Mn-O structures. This conclusion was further supported by partial density of state analysis from density functional theory computations, revealing that the introduction of K+ weakened the orbital hybridization of Mn3d and O2p. Finally, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS) studies on Ce5Mn5 and K1Ce5Mn5 catalysts suggested that the introduction of K+ promoted the conversion of adsorbed benzene. Furthermore, intermediate products were transformed more rapidly for K1Ce5Mn5 compared to Ce5Mn5.

Unveiling the Function of Oxygen Vacancy on Facet-Dependent CeO2 for the Catalytic Destruction of Monochloromethane: Guidance for Industrial Catalyst Design

Secondary pollution remains a critical challenge for the catalytic destruction of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). By employing experimental studies and theoretical calculations, we provide valuable insights into the catalytic behaviors exhibited by ceria rods, cubes, and octahedra for monochloromethane (MCM) destruction, shedding light on the elementary reactions over facet-dependent CeO2. Our findings demonstrate that CeO2 nanorods with the (110) facet exhibit the best performance in MCM destruction, and the role of vacancies is mainly to form a longer distance (4.63 Å) of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) compared to the stoichiometric surface, thereby enhancing the activation of MCM molecules. Subsequent molecular orbital analysis showed that the adsorption of MCM mainly transferred electrons from the 3σ and 4π* orbitals to the Ce 4f orbitals, and the activation was mainly caused by weakening of the 3σ bonding orbitals. Furthermore, isotopic experiments and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the hydrogen chloride generated is mainly derived from methyl in MCM rather than from water, and the primary function of water is to form excess saturated H on the surface, facilitating the desorption of generated hydrogen chloride.

Catalytic degradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) over Ce-Mn-Ti composite oxide catalysts

Developing industrially moldable catalysts with harmonized redox performance and acidity is of great significance for the efficient disposal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in actual exhaust gasses. Here, commercial TiO2, typically used for molding catalysts, was chosen as the carrier to fabricate a series of Ce0.02Mn0-0.24TiOx materials with different Mn doping ratios and employed for chlorobenzene (CB) destruction. The introduction of Mn remarkedly facilitated the synergistic effect of each element via the electron transfer processes: Ce3++Mn4+/3+↔Ce4++Mn3+/2+ and Mn4+/3++Ti4+↔Mn3+/2++Ti3+. These synergistic interactions in Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx, especially Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx, significantly elevated the active oxygen species, oxygen vacancies and redox properties, endowing the superior catalytic oxidation of CB. When the Mn doping amount increased to 0.24, a separate Mn3O4 phase appeared, which in turn might weaken the synergistic effect. Furthermore, the acidity of Ce0.02Mn0.04-0.24TiOx was decreased with the Mn doping, regulating the balance of redox property and acidity. Notably, Ce0.02Mn0.16TiOx featured relatively abundant B-acid sites. Its coordinating redox ability and moderate acidity promoted the deep oxidation of CB and RCOOH- intermediates, as well as the rapid desorption of Cl species, thus obtaining sustainable reactivity. In comparison, CeTiOx owned the strongest acidity, however, its poor redox property was not sufficient for the timely oxidative decomposition of the easier adsorbed CB, resulting in its rapid deactivation. This finding provides a promising strategy for the construction of efficient commercial molding catalysts to decompose the industrial-scale CVOCs.

Unravelling the impacts of sulfur dioxide on dioxin catalytic decomposition on V2O5/AC catalysts

Dioxins are high chlorine, toxic, and persistent organic pollutants that exert significant pressure on both human and the environment. From the analysis of current pollutant removal of the whole life cycle, such as integrated removal of NOx, SO2 and dioxins in a system, the dioxins oxidation activity as well as the distribution of oxidation products in the presence of SO2 are still a challenge. In this study, dibenzofuran (DBF) was regarded as a model dioxin compound, and V2O5/AC was used as a catalyst to investigate the impact of SO2 on degradation activity and the degradation path of DBF. Various characterization results showed that SO2 could promote the transformation of DBF to intermediates through a reaction with lattice oxygen and lower the apparent activated energy of DBF catalytic oxidation on V2O5/AC catalysts. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that SO2 improved the oxidation ability of lattice oxygen on V2O5/AC. The ethyl hydrogen fumarate intermediate decreased and the small-molecule byproducts increased, providing further evidence that SO2 accelerates the degradation of DBF and its intermediates. However, the formation of VOSO4 would inevitably deteriorate the adsorption and oxidation abilities of V2O5/AC. A model is pioneered to describe the relationship between SO2 promotion and VOSO4 inhibition on DBF catalytic oxidation on a V2O5/AC catalyst. This study is expected to provide theoretical guidance for the collaborative abatement of multi-pollutants in flue gas.

Catalytic Oxidation of Acetone on SmMn2O5: Effect of Acid Etching and Loading Treatment

The key of catalytic oxidation technology is to develop a stable catalyst with high activity. It is still a serious challenge to achieve high conversion efficiency of acetone with an integral catalyst at low temperature. In this study, the SmMn₂O₅ catalyst after acid etching was used as the support, and the manganese mullite composite catalyst was prepared by loading Ag and CeO₂ nanoparticles on its surface. By means of SEM, TEM, XRD, N₂-BET, XPS, EPR, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD, NH₃-TPD, DRIFT, and other characterization methods, the related factors and mechanism analysis of acetone degradation activity of the composite catalyst were discussed. Among them, the CeO₂-SmMn₂O₅-H catalyst has the best catalytic activity at 123 and 185 °C for T₅₀ and T₁₀₀, respectively, and shows excellent water and thermal resistance and stability. In essence, the surface and lattice defects of highly exposed Mn sites were formed by acid etching, and the dispersibility of Ag and CeO₂ nanoparticles was optimized. Highly dispersed Ag and CeO₂ nanoparticles have a highly synergistic effect with the support SmMn₂O₅, and the reactive oxygen species provided by CeO₂ and the electron transfer brought by Ag further promote the decomposition of acetone on the carrier SMO-H. In the field of catalytic degradation of acetone, a new catalyst modification method of high-quality active noble metals and transition metal oxides supported by acid-etched SmMn₂O₅ has been developed.

Promoted wet peroxide oxidation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds catalyzed by FeOCl supported on macro-microporous biomass-derived activated carbon

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are a recalcitrant class of air pollutants, and the strongly oxidizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are promising to degrade them. In this study, a FeOCl-loaded biomass-derived activated carbon (BAC) has been used as an adsorbent for accumulating CVOCs and catalyst for activating H₂O₂ to construct a wet scrubber for the removal of airborne CVOCs. In addition to well-developed micropores, the BAC has macropores mimicking those of biostructures, which allows CVOCs to diffuse easily to its adsorption sites and catalytic sites. Probe experiments have revealed HO^• to be the dominant ROS in the FeOCl/BAC + H₂O₂ system. The wet scrubber performs well at pH 3 and H₂O₂ concentrations as low as a few mM. It is capable of removing over 90% of dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, dichloromethane and chlorobenzene from air. By applying pulsed dosing or continuous dosing to replenish H₂O₂ to maintain its appropriate concentration, the system achieves good long-term efficiency. A dichloroethane degradation pathway is proposed based on the analysis of intermediates. This work may provide inspiration for the design of catalyst exploiting the inherent structure of biomass for catalytic wet oxidation of CVOCs or other contaminants.

Three-dimensional porous CuO-modified CeO2-Al2O3 catalysts with chlorine resistance for simultaneous catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene and mercury: Cu-Ce interaction and structure

Chlorine poisoning effects are still challenging to develop efficient catalysts for applications in chlorobenzene (CB) and mercury (Hg⁰) oxidation. Herein, three-dimensional porous CuO-modified CeO₂-Al₂O₃ catalysts with macroporous framework and mesoporous walls prepared via a dual template method were employed to study simultaneous oxidation of CB and Hg⁰. CuO-modified CeO₂-Al₂O₃ catalysts with three-dimensional porous structure exhibited outstanding activity and stability for simultaneous catalytic oxidation of CB and Hg⁰. The results demonstrated that the addition of CuO into CeO₂-Al₂O₃ can simultaneously enhance the acid sites and redox properties through the electronic inductive effect between CuO and CeO₂ (Cu²⁺+Ce³⁺↔Cu⁺+Ce⁴⁺). Importantly, the synergistic effect between Cu and Ce species can induce abundant oxygen vacancies formation, produce more reactive oxygen species and facilitate oxygen migration, which is beneficial for the deep oxidation of chlorinated intermediates. Moreover, macroporous framework and mesoporous nanostructure dramatically improved the specific surface area for enhancing the contact efficiency between reactants and active sites, leading to a remarkable decrease of byproducts deposition. CB and Hg⁰ had function of mutual promotion in this reaction system. In tune with the experimental results, the possible mechanistic pathways for simultaneous catalytic oxidation of CB and Hg⁰ were proposed.

Progress of catalytic oxidation of typical chlorined volatile organic compounds (CVOCs): A review

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are still a part of the current atmospheric environmental problems that cannot be ignored, but unlike conventional VOCs, the presence of Cl causes various catalyst deactivations in the catalytic process. In this paper, we focus on six common CVOCs and discuss various behavioral mechanisms of the whole catalytic process from six aspects: catalyst selection, factors affecting the catalytic effect, changes in catalytic behavior in the presence of different gases, catalyst poisoning deactivation behavior, degradation products and degradation mechanisms to provide guidance for further development of low-temperature and efficient CVOCs catalysts.

Improved activity and stability for chlorobenzene oxidation over ternary Cu-Mn-O-Ce solid solution supported on cordierite

A series of CuMnO_x/CeO₂/cordierite and CuMnCeO_x/cordierite catalysts prepared by a complex method with citric acid were investigated for the performance of chlorobenzene (CB) oxidation. The effects of the molar ratio of Mn/Cu, transition metal oxide loading, calcination temperature and time were investigated as the main investigation factor for the performance. Meanwhile, XRD, SEM, BET, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and XPS were conducted to characterize the physicochemical properties of these catalysts. The results demonstrated that CuMnO_x/CeO₂/cordierite catalysts prepared by step-by-step synthesis with the Cu/Mn molar ratio of 5:2 exhibited a high activity (T₉₀ = 350 °C), owing to the incorporation of CuO and MnO_x for forming CuMn₂O₄ spinel oxide supported on CeO₂ surface. More importantly, CuMnCeO_x/cordierite catalysts prepared by one-step exhibited the highest oxidation activity (T₉₀ < 300 °C) attributed to the low H₂ reduction temperature and desorption energy of surface oxygen, and the formed Cu-Mn-O-Ce solid solution and CeO₂ promoted the high dispersion of CuMnO_x in the supported catalysts. In addition, the possible oxidation mechanism was described to demonstrate the by-products generation and oxygen transfer of CuMnCeO_x catalysts.

Ru-based monolithic catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds

A series of cordierite monolithic catalysts with Ru species supported on different available low-cost carriers were prepared and investigated for the elimination of CVOCs. The results suggest that the monolithic catalyst with Ru species supported on anatase TiO₂ carrier with abundant acidic sites exhibited the desired catalytic activity for DCM oxidation with the T _90% value of 368 °C. In addition, a pseudo-boehmite sol used as binder was introduced into the preparation of the monolithic catalysts to further improve the adhesion between the powder catalysts and cordierite honeycomb carrier. The results suggest that although the T _50% and T _90% of the Ru/TiO₂/PB/Cor shifted to higher temperature of 376 and 428 °C, the weight loss of the coating for the Ru/TiO₂/PB/Cor catalyst was improved and decreased to 6.5 wt%. Also, the as-obtained Ru/TiO₂/PB/Cor catalyst exhibited ideal catalytic properties for the abatement of ethyl acetate and ethanol, indicating that the catalyst can meet the demand for the treatment of actual multi-component industrial gas.

Pt/CeO2 coated with polyoxometallate chainmail to regulate oxidation of chlorobenzene without hazardous by-products

Doping noble metal and acid functionalization were both valid approaches to facilitate oxidation of chlorobenzene on CeO₂-based catalysts, but their promotion effects were influenced by different orders of modification process. Because of strong interaction between metal and support and proper redox nature of CeO₂, Pt NPs were re-dispersed into single atoms on CeO₂ surface via "ex-solution". Companied with Pt loading, the enhancement of oxidizing ability led to generation of polychlorinated by-products. Herein, CeO₂-supported Pt was coated by HSiW chainmail to protect Pt from being exposed to Cl-contained atmosphere, and HSiW coating promoted activation of chlorobenzene. The as-prepared chainmail catalyst of HSiW/Pt/CeO₂ displayed a remarkable performance in catalyzing oxidation of chlorobenzene without any dichlorobenzene at realistic condition. By comparison, other catalysts with exposed Pt suffered from production of toxic by-products.

Simultaneously Constructing Active Sites and Regulating Mn-O Strength of Ru-Substituted Perovskite for Efficient Oxidation and Hydrolysis Oxidation of Chlorobenzene

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are a class of hazardous pollutants that severely threaten environmental safety and human health. Although the catalytic oxidation technique for CVOCs elimination is effective, enhancing the catalytic efficiency and simultaneously inhibiting the production of organic byproducts is still of great challenge. Herein, Ru-substituted LaMn(Ru)O_{3+ δ} perovskite with Ru-O-Mn structure and weakened Mn-O bond strength has been developed for catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene (CB). The formed Ru-O-Mn structure serves as favorable sites for CB adsorption and activation, while the weakening of Mn-O bond strength facilitates the formation of active oxygen species and improves oxygen mobility and catalyst reducibility. Therefore, LaMn(Ru)O_{3+ δ} exhibits superior low-temperature activity with the temperature of 90% CB conversion decreasing by over 90 °C compared with pristine perovskite, and the deep oxidation of chlorinated byproducts produced in low temperature is also accelerated. Furthermore, the introduction of water vapor into reaction system triggers the process of hydrolysis oxidation that promotes CB destruction and inhibits the generation of chlorinated byproducts, due to the higher-activity *OOH species generated from the dissociated H₂ O reacting with adsorbed oxygen. This work can provide a unique, high-efficiency, and facile strategy for CVOCs degradation and environmental improvement.

Chlorine-Coordinated Pd Single Atom Enhanced the Chlorine Resistance for Volatile Organic Compound Degradation: Mechanism Study

The development of catalysts with high chlorine resistance for volatile organic compound (VOC) degradation is of great significance to achieve air purification. Herein, Pd@ZrO₂ catalysts with monodispersed Pd atoms coordinated with Cl were prepared using an in situ grown Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) as the sacrifice templates to enhance the chlorine resistance for VOC elimination. The residual Cl species from the Zr-MOF coordinated with Pd, forming Pd₁-Cl species during the pyrolysis. Meanwhile, abundant oxygen vacancies (V_O) were generated, which enhanced the adsorption and activation of gaseous oxygen molecules, accelerating the degradation of VOCs. In addition, the Pd@ZrO₂ catalysts exhibited satisfactory water resistance, long-term stability, and great resistance to CO and dichloromethane (DCM) for VOC elimination. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) results elucidated that the generation of Pd₁-Cl species in Pd@ZrO₂ suppressed the absorption of DCM, releasing more active sites for toluene and its intermediate adsorption. Simultaneously, the monodispersed Pd atoms and V_O improved the reactivity of gaseous oxygen molecule adsorption and dissociation, boosting the deep decomposition of toluene and its intermediates. This work may provide a new strategy for rationally designing high-chlorine resistance catalysts for VOC elimination to improve the atmospheric environment.

Insights into Chlorobenzene Catalytic Oxidation over Noble Metal Loading {001}-TiO2: The Role of NaBH4 and Subnanometer Ru Undergoing Stable Ru0Ru4+ Circulation

Catalytic combustion of ubiquitous chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) encounters bottlenecks regarding catalyst deactivation by chlorine poisoning and generation of toxic polychlorinated byproducts. Herein, Ru, Pd, and Rh were loaded on {001}-TiO₂ for thermal catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene (CB), with Ru/{001}-TiO₂ representing superior reactivity, CO₂ selectivity, and stability in the 1000 min on-stream test. Interestingly, both acid sites and reactive active oxygen species (ROS) were remarkably promoted via adding NaBH₄. But merely enhancing these active sites of the catalyst in CVOC treatment is insufficient. Continuous deep oxidation of CB with effective Cl desorption is also a core issue successfully tackled through the steady Ru⁰↔Ru⁴⁺ circulation. This circulation was facilitated by the observed higher subnanometer Ru dispersion on {001}-TiO₂ than the other two noble metals that was supported by single atom stability DFT calculation. Nearly 88 degradation products in off-gas were detected, with Ru/{001}-TiO₂ producing the lowest polychlorinated benzene byproducts. An effective and sustainable CB degradation mechanism boosted by the cooperation of NaBH₄ enhanced active sites and Ru circulation was proposed accordingly. Insights gained from this study open a new avenue to the rational design of promising catalysts for the treatment of CVOCs.

A high-performance and stable Cu/Beta for adsorption-catalytic oxidation in-situ destruction of low concentration toluene

Finding a cost-effective treatment to remove of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is still a challenge. In this study, a Cu/Beta material was developed for in situ adsorption-catalytic oxidation of low concentrations of toluene. The results showed that the addition of Cu enhanced the adsorption and catalytic oxidation of toluene by Beta zeolite. Cu7/Beta with a Cu⁺ ratio of close to 50% performed best. The high adsorption of Cu7/Beta was mainly attributed to the abundant Cu⁺ species and the micro-mesoporous structure of the Beta zeolite, and the high catalytic oxidation was attributed to the lattice oxygen in the uniformly dispersed CuO. Finally, the adsorption intermediates and reaction pathways in the catalytic oxidation of toluene were clarified using XPS and DRIFTS spectra. This work provides new strategies for the development of efficient and stable adsorption-catalytic oxidation in situ destruction materials.

Research Progress of a Composite Metal Oxide Catalyst for VOC Degradation

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are atmospheric pollutants that have been of concern for researchers in recent years because they are toxic, difficult to remove, and widely sourced and easily cause damage to the environment and human body. Most scholars use low-temperature plasma biological treatment, catalytic oxidation, adsorption, condensation, and recovery techniques to treat then effectively. Among them, catalytic oxidation technology has the advantages of a high catalytic efficiency, low energy consumption, high safety factor, high treatment efficiency, and less secondary pollution; it is currently widely used for VOC degradation technology. In this paper, the catalytic oxidation technology for the degradation of multiple types of VOCs as well as the development of a single metal oxide catalyst have been briefly introduced. We also focus on the research progress of composite metal oxide catalysts for the removal of VOCs by comparing and analyzing the metal component ratio, preparation method, and types of precursors and the catalysts' influence on the catalytic performance. In addition, the reason for catalyst deactivation and a correlation between the chemical state of the catalyst and the electron distribution are discussed. Development of a composite metal oxide catalyst for the catalytic oxidation of VOCs has been proposed.

Catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene and PCDD/Fs over V2O5-WO3/TiO2: insights into the component effect and reaction mechanism

In this work, titania supported catalysts (V-W/Ti) with different vanadium-tungsten contents were prepared and evaluated in the catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene, which was used as the model compound of dioxins. The results showed that V₂O₅ is the main active component for chlorobenzene oxidation, and doping of WO₃ affects the valence distributions of vanadium, contributing a bimetallic synergistic effect. The catalysts were investigated by XRD, SEM-EDS mapping, Raman, and XPS, and the changes in V element valence state and chlorine content on fresh and used catalysts were observed by XPS. Moreover, in situ FTIR studies and chlorine balance were also conducted, the addition of WO₃ is helpful to the breakage of C-Cl, and a reaction mechanism for the catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene was proposed. 3 V-5 W/Ti catalyst with better catalytic activity was selected for catalytic oxidation of PCDD/Fs using a lab scale PCDD/Fs generating and decomposing system. The degradation efficiency was 66.5% at 200 °C and 62.2% at 300 °C, which indicated that the low reaction temperature of 200 °C was conducive to the catalytic degradation of PCDDs, while the high temperature of 300 °C was facilitated the degradation of PCDFs.

Atomically dispersed Ru catalysts for polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon oxidation

The development of cost-efficient catalysts with good catalytic activity is an urgent task for polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbon (PCAH) oxidation. Herein, atomically dispersed Ru catalysts (denoted as Ru ADCs) proved by aberration corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were synthesized for PCAH oxidation. The oxidation results showed that 0.2 Ru ADCs exhibited enhanced catalytic activity (T_50% < 250 °C, T_90% < 300 °C) compared with the T_90% > 300 °C on 0.2 Ru nanoparticles (NPs). Besides, 0.2 Ru ADCs demonstrated high CO₂ yield with >60% CO₂ ratio, along with good stability (>80% conversion for 800 mins). The better performance of 0.2 Ru ADCs was verified by kinetic experiments, in which, the apparent activation energy associated with 0.2 Ru ADCs (50.8 kJ mol^-1) was significantly lower compared with that with 0.2 Ru NPs (80.0 kJ mol^-1). The superior oxidation activity of 0.2 Ru ADCs was also applied to toluene oxidation. H₂ temperature-programmed reduction ensured the stronger interaction of Ru species with the supports in Ru ADCs than that in Ru NPs, thus inhibiting Ru species aggregation and favoring their higher dispersion ensured by CO temperature-programmed desorption. The present work provides a potential strategy to maximize the usage of noble metal catalysts for PCAH oxidation.

Recent Progress in the Synthesis and Applications of Composite Photocatalysts: A Critical Review

Photocatalysis is an advanced technique that transforms solar energy into sustainable fuels and oxidizes pollutants via the aid of semiconductor photocatalysts. The main scientific and technological challenges for effective photocatalysis are the stability, robustness, and efficiency of semiconductor photocatalysts. For practical applications, researchers are trying to develop highly efficient and stable photocatalysts. Since the literature is highly scattered, it is urgent to write a critical review that summarizes the state-of-the-art progress in the design of a variety of semiconductor composite photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications. Herein, a comprehensive review is presented that summarizes an overview, history, mechanism, advantages, and challenges of semiconductor photocatalysis. Further, the recent advancements in the design of heterostructure photocatalysts including alloy quantum dots based composites, carbon based composites including carbon nanotubes, carbon quantum dots, graphitic carbon nitride, and graphene, covalent-organic frameworks based composites, metal based composites including metal carbides, metal halide perovskites, metal nitrides, metal oxides, metal phosphides, and metal sulfides, metal-organic frameworks based composites, plasmonic materials based composites and single atom based composites for CO₂ conversion, H₂ evolution, and pollutants oxidation are discussed elaborately. Finally, perspectives for further improvement in the design of composite materials for efficient photocatalysis are provided.

Reheat treatment under vacuum induces pre-calcined α-MnO2 with oxygen vacancy as efficient catalysts for toluene oxidation

Engineering α-MnO₂ with abundant oxygen vacancies is efficient to enhance its catalytic activity towards toluene oxidation. A simple and facile method was introduced to fabricate oxygen vacancies on α-MnO₂ surface by reheating the pre-calcined samples under vacuum condition. The reheat treatment especially at 180 °C is beneficial for the formation of oxygen vacancies on α-MnO₂ surface, enhancing the oxidation of toluene. The toluene conversion is up to 100% at 270 °C, which is 30 °C lower than that of α-MnO₂ without reheat treatment. The apparent activation energy (16.8 kJ mol^-1) of MnO₂-180 catalyst is lowest among these catalysts, which is essential for accelerating the oxidation of toluene. In-situ DRIFTS results indicate that the MnO₂-180 sample promotes the formation of benzaldehyde and the occurrence of ring-opening reaction, thus effectively improving the catalytic performance for toluene oxidation. A possible catalytic oxidation mechanism of toluene over α-MnO₂ catalysts after reheat treatment was proposed.

Improvement of Al2O3 on the multi-pollutant control performance of NOx and chlorobenzene in vanadia-based catalysts

We compared the influences of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ on a traditional V₂O₅-MoO₃/TiO₂ for the simultaneous removal of NO_x and chlorobenzene (CB). The Al₂O₃ doping catalyst considerably broadens the active temperature window with higher NO_x reduction and CB oxidation efficiencies than the SiO₂ doping one and the V₂O₅-MoO₃/TiO₂. Furthermore, its resistance to SO₂ was preserved and the quantities of polychlorinated byproducts also decreased. The increase in activity at low temperatures could be due to the promotion of vanadia reducibility via interactions between V₂O₅ and Al₂O₃. Moreover, the high temperature activity could be due to the additional surface acidities provided by Al₂O₃, in which the Lewis acid sites played the predominant role in both NH₃ adsorptions and CB de-chlorination compared to the Brønsted acid sites. Finally, we proposed that Al₂O₃ is an effective addition for vanadia-based catalyst in NO_x and CB simultaneous removal from stationary sources.

Recent progress of noble metals with tailored features in catalytic oxidation for organic pollutants degradation

With the increasing serious water pollutions, an increasing interest has given for the nanocomposites as environmental catalysts. To date, noble metals-based nanocomposites have been extensively studied by researchers in environmental catalysis. In detail, serving as key functional parts, noble metals are usually combined with other nanomaterials for rationally designing nanocomposites, which exhibit enhanced catalytic properties in pollutants removal. Noble metals in the nanocomposites possess tailored properties, thus playing different important roles in catalytic oxidation reactions for pollutants removal. To motivate the research and elaborate the progress of noble metals, this review (i) summarizes advanced characterization techniques and rising technology of theoretical calculation for evaluating noble metal, and (ii) classifies the roles according to their disparate mechanism in different catalytic oxidation reactions. Meanwhile, the enhanced mechanism and influence factors are discussed. (iii) The conclusions, facing challenges and perspectives are proposed for further development of noble metals-based nanocomposites as environmental catalysts.

Noble-Metal-Based Catalytic Oxidation Technology Trends for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Removal

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are toxic and are considered the most important sources for the formation of photochemical smog, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), and ozone. These can also greatly affect the environment and human health. For this reason, VOCs are removed by applying various technologies or reused after recovery. Catalytic oxidation for VOCs removal is widely applied in the industry and is regarded as an efficient and economical method compared to other VOCs removal technologies. Currently, a large amount of VOCs are generated in industries with solvent-based processes, and the ratio of aromatic compounds is high. This paper covers recent catalytic developments in VOC combustion over noble-metal-based catalysts. In addition, this report introduces recent trends in the development of the catalytic mechanisms of VOC combustion and the deactivation of catalysts, such as coke formation, poisoning, sintering, and catalyst regeneration. Since VOC oxidation by noble metal catalysts depends on the support of and mixing catalysts, an appropriate catalyst should be used according to reaction characteristics. Moreover, noble metal catalysts are used together with non-noble metals and play a role in the activity of other catalysts. Therefore, further elucidation of their function and catalytic mechanism in VOC removal is required.

Catalytic ozonation of dichloromethane at low temperature and even room temperature on Mn-loaded catalysts

Five Mn-loaded catalysts were synthesized on γ-Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, nano γ-Al₂O₃ and nanoZrO₂ supports. The catalytic ozonation of DCM (dichloromethane) was evaluated under industrial conditions (i.e., temperature, O₃ input, H₂O and SO₂ content). According to results, >90% DCM conversion without O₃ residue was achieved for all samples at 120 °C and an O₃/DCM ratio of 6. At 20–120 °C, the highest Mn³⁺ content, abundant surface oxygen species and more weak acid sites led to the best performance of Mn/nanoAl₂O₃ (M/A-II). At 20 °C and 120 °C, 80% and 95% DCM can be degraded respectively on M/A-II at 20 °C with matched surface oxygen species and acidity. An O₃/DCM ratio of 6 was optimal for performance and economy. For the effects of complex exhaust, both H₂O and SO₂ deactivated M/A-II. The H₂O-induced deactivation was recoverable and also removed surface-deposited chlorine-containing species, enhancing the HCl selectivity. Finally, the Cl equilibrium of the reaction was comprehensively analyzed.

The collaboration of abundant surface oxygen species and weak acid sites at low temperatures ensures the best functioning of M/A-II.

Promoting effect of Ru-doped Mn/TiO2 catalysts for catalytic oxidation of chlorobenzene

Mn/TiO2 catalysts were synthesized using deposition-precipitation method. Ru-doped Mn/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by incipient-wetness impregnation method. To investigate the effect of Ru and Mn species, the catalytic performances of Mn/TiO2...

High Selectivity to HCl for the Catalytic Removal of 1,2-Dichloroethane Over RuP/3DOM WOx: Insights into the Effects of P-Doping and H2O Introduction

Ru-based catalysts for catalytic combustion of high-toxicity Cl-containing volatile organic compounds are inclined to produce Cl₂ instead of ideal HCl due to the Deacon reaction. We herein reported that the three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) WO_x-supported RuP nanocatalyst greatly improved HCl selectivity (at 400 °C, increased from 66.0% over Ru/3DOM WO_x to 96.4% over RuP/3DOM WO_x) and reduced chlorine-containing byproducts for 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) oxidation. P-doping enhanced the number of structural hydroxyl groups and Brønsted acid sites. The isotopic 1,2-DCE temperature-programmed desorption experiment in the presence of H₂¹⁸O indicated the generation of a new active oxygen species ¹⁶O¹⁸O that participated in the reaction. Generally, P-doping and H₂O introduction could promote the exchange reaction between Cl and hydroxyl groups, rather than oxygen defects, and then benefit the production of HCl and reduce the generation of other chlorine species or Cl₂, via the reaction processes of C₂H₃Cl → alcohol → aldehyde → carboxylic acids.

Lignin-based adsorbent-catalyst with high capacity and stability for polychlorinated aromatics removal

The utilization of lignin as carbonaceous material for pollution adsorption provides an alternative way for lignocellulose valorization. Here in, lignin-based adsorbents (i.e., LC-A, LC-B, and LC-C) were prepared and used for the removal of o-DCB (a toxic gaseous pollutant). LC-B exhibited the best adsorption capacity (718.2 mg/g) when comparing with LC-A (93.1 mg/g), LC-C (10.2 mg/g), and activated carbon (72.7 mg/g). LC-B also demonstrated excellent recycling stability with the adsorption capacity of 710.8 mg/g after five runs. More importantly, LC-B supported Ru adsorbent catalyst could effectively remove o-DCB with removal rate >80% under a wide range of temperature (50-300°C). The excellent performance of lignin-based adsorbents could be attributed to its abundant pore structure, high specific surface area (1618.55 m²/g), enhanced graphitization degree as well as the abundant hydroxyl functional groups. The present work provided a cost-effective strategy for pollution control by lignin-based material.

A comparative study of the dichloromethane catalytic combustion over ruthenium-based catalysts: Unveiling the roles of acid types in dissociative adsorption and by-products formation

Herein, a comparative investigation of the Ru-based catalysts with different kinds of supports (TiO₂, Al₂O₃, HZSM-5 SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 27 and 130, respectively) for catalytic combustion of dichloromethane (DCM) has been performed. The characterization results showed that the C-Cl bond of DCM was cleaved on both the Brønsted and Lewis acid sites of the catalysts. However, the Lewis acid sites were more active than the Brønsted acid sites. The relatively strong Lewis acidity of Ru/TiO₂ improved the dissociative adsorption of DCM, accounting for its superior activity. The yield of toxic by-products was strongly associated with the acid types of the catalysts. The Cl species deposited on TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ supports interacted strongly with the Lewis acid sites, thereby promoting the electrophilic chlorination reactions and yielding more polychlorinated by-products, especially highly toxic dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). However, the Cl deposits on Ru/HZSM-5 (SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 27) with abundant Brønsted acid sites, mainly existed as hydrogen-bonded Cl species, with good mobility and less propensity for chlorinating carbonaceous matter. Moreover, Ru/HZSM-5 (SiO₂/Al₂O₃ = 130) yielded the highest polychlorinated by-products and PCDD/Fs because of its poor redox ability and high surface area. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the CVOCs catalytic combustion catalysts development.

A CeCoOx Core/Nb2 O5 @TiO2 Double-Shell Nanocage Catalyst Demonstrates High Activity and Water Resistance for Catalytic Combustion of o-Dichlorobenzene

A series of catalysts with different core-shell structures has been successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. They consisted of CeCoO_x @TiO₂ (single shell), CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ (single shell) and CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ @TiO₂ (double shell) core-shell nanocages and CeCoO_x nanocages, in which CeCoO_x was the core and TiO₂ and Nb₂ O₅ were shells. The influence of the core-shell structure on the catalytic performance of o-dichlorobenzene was investigated by activity, water-resistance, and thermal stability tests as well as catalyst characterization. The temperatures corresponding to 90 % conversion of o-dichlorobenzene (T₉₀ ) of CeCoO_x , CeCoO_x @TiO₂ , CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ , and CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ @TiO₂ catalysts were 415, 383, 362 and 367 °C, respectively. CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ exhibited excellent catalytic activity, mainly owing to the special core-shell structure, large specific surface area, abundant activity of Co³⁺ , Ce³⁺ , Nb⁵⁺ , strong reducibility, and more active oxygen vacancies. It can be seen that the Nb₂ O₅ coating can greatly improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst. In addition, due to the protective effect of the TiO₂ shell on CeCoO_x , CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ @TiO₂ catalysts exhibited outstanding thermal and hydrothermal stability for 20 hours. The T₉₀ of CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ @TiO₂ was slightly lower than that of CeCoO_x @Nb₂ O₅ , but it had higher stability and hydrothermal stability. Furthermore, possible reaction pathways involving the Mars-van-Krevelen (MvK) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) models were deduced based on studies of the temperature-programmed desorption of O₂ (O₂ -TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and in situ diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy (DRIFTS) characterization.

Silica-confined Ru highly dispersed on ZrO2 with enhanced activity and thermal stability in dichloroethane combustion

An efficient strategy (spontaneous deposition to enhance noble metal dispersity and core-shell confinement to inhibit noble metal sintering) is presented to synthesize highly active and thermally stable Ru/ZrO2@SiO2 catalysts for dichloroethane combustion.

HCl-Tolerant HxPO4/RuOx-CeO2 Catalysts for Extremely Efficient Catalytic Elimination of Chlorinated VOCs

Bulk metal doping and surface phosphate modification were synergically adopted in a rational design to upgrade the CeO₂ catalyst, which is highly active but easily deactivated for the catalytic oxidation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs). The metal doping increased the redox ability and defect sites of CeO₂, which mostly promoted catalytic activity and inhibited the formation of dechlorinated byproducts but generated polychlorinated byproducts. The subsequent surface modification of the metal-doped CeO₂ catalysts with nonmetallic phosphate completely suppressed the formation of polychlorinated byproducts and, more importantly, enhanced the stability of the surface structure by forming a chainmail layer. A highly active, durable, and selective catalyst of phosphate-functionalized RuO_x-CeO₂ was the most promising among all the metal-doped (Ru, Pd, Pt, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Cu) CeO₂ catalysts investigated owing to the prominent chemical stability of RuO_x and its superior versatility in the catalytic oxidation of different kinds of Cl-VOCs and other typical pollutants, including dimethyl sulfide, CO, and C₃H₈. Moreover, the chemical stability of the catalyst, including its bulk and surface structural stability, was investigated by combining intensive treatment with HCl/H₂O or HCl with subsequent ex situ ultraviolet-visible light Raman spectroscopy and confirmed the superior resistance to Cl poisoning of the phosphate-functionalized RuO_x-CeO₂. This work exemplifies a promising strategy for developing ideal catalysts for the removal of Cl-VOCs and provides a catalyst with the superior catalytic performance in Cl-VOC oxidation to date.

Boosting total oxidation of propane over CeO2@Co3O4 nanofiber catalysts prepared by multifluidic coaxial electrospinning with continuous grain boundary and fast lattice oxygen mobility

A one-dimensional (1D) core-shell of Co-Ce oxide has been prepared by multifluidic coaxial electrospinning method and evaluated for the total oxidation of propane (C₃H₈). Activity and morphological characterizations show that the CeO₂@Co₃O₄ nanofiber catalyst, of which the core is CeO₂ and the shell is Co₃O₄, exhibits excellent oxidation activity. The exposed Co₃O₄ grown on the outside of the fibers can rapidly react with C₃H₈ while CeO₂ with high oxygen storage capacity in the inside is conductive to the enhanced oxidation rate. Besides, the continuous grain boundary provides a fast mass transfer channel for lattice oxygen, and rich oxygen vacancies favor the mobility of active oxygen species. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTs) confirms that the CeO₂@Co₃O₄ catalyst have a faster rate of C₃H₈ adsorption and better oxidation activity with respect to the counterpart using a single-needle electrospinning method. Moreover, the CeO₂@Co₃O₄ catalyst displays excellent thermal stability, and strong resistance against 5 vol% H₂O and 5 vol% CO₂ at both 300 and 400 °C. Our strategy can give some new insights into morphological engineering to promote active oxygen mobility via the construction of one-dimensional core-shell of metal oxides for catalytic oxidation of VOCs.

Comparative Investigation on Chlorobenzene Oxidation by Oxygen and Ozone over a MnOx/Al2O3 Catalyst in the Presence of SO2

Catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) usually encounters complicated components in flue gas causing severe deactivation that restrict its application in specific conditions. The Cl substitution in chlorobenzene further increases poisoning risks. Ozone assistance has unique superiority that can overcome these bottleneck problems. Herein, this study performs a comparative investigation of CB oxidation by oxygen and ozone over a simple Mn/Al₂O₃ catalyst. CB conversion suffered from slight deactivation in oxygen atmosphere (from 90 to 70%) and more severe deactivation in the presence of SO₂ (from 90 to 45%) at 480 °C. Introduction of ozone successfully attained high CB conversion at low temperature (120 °C) with excellent stability and less byproducts. Especially, CB oxidation by ozone maintained its original conversion in the presence of SO₂. The deactivation process was simulated by synthesizing several sulfated catalysts. Direct sulfation on Mn/Al₂O₃ attained more severe deactivation in CB conversion and CO₂ formation than sulfation on the Al₂O₃ support. Ozone with a strong oxidation property promoted the CB oxidation cycle, facilitated desorption of carbonaceous intermediates, and protected MnO_x species from severe erosion, thus exhibiting high and stable performance in CB oxidation.

Double redox process to synthesize CuO-CeO2 catalysts with strong Cu-Ce interaction for efficient toluene oxidation

In this study, a novel double redox (DR) method was developed to synthesize highly active CuO-CeO₂ (CuCe-DR) catalyst for catalytic oxidative decomposition of toluene. Compare with CuCe-C catalyst prepared by co-precipitation method, CuCe-DR catalyst exhibits a higher Ce³⁺ ion and incorporated Cu²⁺ ion concentration, and has a stronger Cu-Ce interaction. Ce³⁺ and incorporated Cu²⁺ ions can induce the formation of oxygen vacancies, and thus increasing the amount of surface chemisorbed oxygen on CuCe-DR catalyst. The strong Cu-Ce interaction can promote the electron transfer between CuO and CeO₂, which improves the redox properties of CuCe-DR catalyst. Although CuCe-DR catalyst has a lower toluene adsorption capacity, CuCe-DR exhibits much higher toluene oxidation performance than CuCe-C at the temperature below 300 °C. Moreover, CuCe-DR shows higher stability than CuCe-C during 100 h long-term test due to its high oxygen mobility which inhibits coking. Finally, the possible reaction pathways and promotional mechanism on CuCe-DR in toluene oxidation are proposed. We expect this study to shed more light on the nature of the surface active site(s) of CuCe catalyst for VOCs oxidation and the development of novel redox preparation method for the synthesis highly-active catalysts.

Influence of oxygen and water content on the formation of polychlorinated organic by-products from catalytic degradation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene over a Pd/ZSM-5 catalyst

Understanding the generation and influence mechanism of polychlorinated organic by-products during the catalytic degradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) is essential to the safe and environmentally friendly treatment of those pollutants. In this study, a systematic investigation of the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) was conducted using various oxygen and water contents over a Pd/ZSM-5(25) catalyst. It was found that decreasing the oxygen content and increasing the water content resulted in the improvement of the 1,2-DCB catalytic activity, while the amount and variety of polychlorinated organic by-products decreased. More importantly, when water was the sole oxidant, the Pd/ZSM-5(25) catalyst also demonstrated high activity towards 1,2-DCB catalytic degradation. Only chlorobenzene and 1,3-dichlorobenzene were detected as by-products. X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and UV-vis DRS spectra results indicated that the polychlorinated organic by-products were suppressed mainly due to inhibition of the chlorination of the palladium species by regulating the oxygen and water content in the reaction atmosphere. Similar surface species were formed under aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres via the study of the in situ FTIR spectra. We therefore proposed that 1,2-DCB undergoes similar catalytic degradation reaction mechanisms under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.