Manganese dioxide-coated biocarbon for integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde in indoor conditions

Formaldehyde is a common indoor air pollutant with hazardous effects on human health. This study investigated the efficiency of biocarbon (BC) functionalized with variable contents of MnO2 for formaldehyde removal in ambient conditions via integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation technology. The sample with the highest formaldehyde removal potential was used to prepare a functional coating made of acrylic binder mixed with 20 wt% of the particles and applied on beech (Fagus sylvatica L) substrate. SEM images showed that MnO2 was deposited around and inside the pores of the BC. EDX spectra indicated the presence of Mn peaks and increased content of oxygen in the doped BC compared to pure BC, which indicated the successful formation of MnO2. Raman spectra revealed that the disorder in the BC's structure increased with increasing MnO2 loadings. FTIR spectra of BC-MnO2 samples displayed additional peaks compared to the BC spectrum, which were attributed to MnO vibrations. Moreover, the deposition of increased MnO2 loadings decreased the porosity of the BC due to pores blockage. The BC sample containing 8 % Mn exhibited the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency in 8 h, which was 91 %. A synergetic effect between BC and MnO2 was observed. The formaldehyde removal efficiency and capacity of the coating reached 43 % and 6.1 mg/m2, respectively, suggesting that the developed coating can be potentially used to improve air quality in the built environment.

Spiral grass inspired eco-friendly zein fibrous membrane for multi-efficient air purification

Air pollution, one of the severest threats to public health, may lead to cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. In order to cope with the deteriorating air pollutant, there is an increasing demand for filters with high purification efficiency, but it's tough to strike a balance between efficiency and resistance. Fabricating an eco-friendly fibrous filter which can capture both PM2.5 and gaseous chemical hazards with high efficiency but under ultra-low resistance is a long-term challenge. Herein, inspired by the interesting ribbon shape of spiral grass, a green and robust 3D nonwoven membrane with controllable hierarchical structure made of self-curved zein nanofibers modified by zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) via bi-solvent electrospinning and fumigation welding method was fabricated. The obtained ZIF-8 modified zein membranes showed extraordinary overall performance with high PM2.5 removal efficiency (99.04 %) at a low stress drop (54.87 Pa), first-rate formaldehyde removal efficiency (98.8 %) and excellent photocatalytic antibacterial. In addition, the relatively weak mechanical properties of zein fibrous membranes have been improved via solvent fumigation welding of the joint zein fibers. This study provides a green and convenient insight to the manufacturing of environmentally-friendly zein fibrous membranes with high filtration efficiency, low air resistance and high formaldehyde removal for sustainable air remediation.

Thermocatalytic Degradation of Gaseous Formaldehyde Using Transition Metal-Based Catalysts

Formaldehyde (HCHO: FA) is one of the most abundant but hazardous gaseous pollutants. Transition metal oxide (TMO)-based thermocatalysts have gained much attention in its removal due to their excellent thermal stability and cost-effectiveness. Herein, a comprehensive review is offered to highlight the current progress in TMO-based thermocatalysts (e.g., manganese, cerium, cobalt, and their composites) in association with the strategies established for catalytic removal of FA. Efforts are hence made to describe the interactive role of key factors (e.g., exposed crystal facets, alkali metal/nitrogen modification, type of precursors, and alkali/acid treatment) governing the catalytic activity of TMO-based thermocatalysts against FA. Their performance has been evaluated further between two distinctive operation conditions (i.e., low versus high temperature) based on computational metrics such as reaction rate. Accordingly, the superiority of TMO-based composite catalysts over mono- and bi-metallic TMO catalysts is evident to reflect the abundant surface oxygen vacancies and enhanced FA adsorptivity of the former group. Finally, the present challenges and future prospects for TMO-based catalysts are discussed with respect to the catalytic oxidation of FA. This review is expected to offer valuable information to design and build high performance catalysts for the efficient degradation of volatile organic compounds.

Designing of 3D MnO2-graphene catalyst on sponge for abatement temperature removal of formaldehyde

The Mn-based catalysts, with low cost and high activity, are believed to be the effective composites for eliminating in-door formaldehyde (HCHO), while the powdered form nanosized catalysts are hardly to apply for practical application. Herein, hetero-structure of nanosheets manganese oxide (MnO₂) encapsulating N-doping graphene sphere (GS) were deposited in network-like sponge for constructing 3D catalyst. The prepared MnO₂-GS-Sponge composite catalyst exhibited excellent performance for removing HCHO at room temperature compared with GS and commercial MnO₂. The MnO₂-GS with larger specific surface area (209.1 m²·g^-1) was dispersed evenly in 3D network of sponge, which facilitated exposing more activate sites and achieving fast transport kinetics accelerating catalytic reaction for converting 97.1 % of 100 ppm of HCHO continuously to CO₂ for 120 h. Moreover, rely on the chemisorption of amino groups on N-doping GS surface, HCHO could be enriched even at low concentrations and efficient elimination (from 1000 ppb to12 ppb, at 35 ℃ in 48 h). The average oxidation state and infrared spectra analysis suggested that abundant oxygen vacancies on MnO₂-GS-Sponge could be identified as surface-active sites of converting HCHO into the intermediates of dioxymethylene and formate. This work might inspire the designing 3D composite material for potential application in other fields of environmental engineering or energy industrial.

Gradient Porous Structured MnO2-Nonwoven Composite: A Binder-Free Polymeric Air Filter for Effective Room-Temperature Formaldehyde Removal

Recently, MnO₂-coated polymeric filters have shown promising performance in room-temperature formaldehyde abatement. However, a commonly known concern of MnO₂/polymer composites is either MnO₂ crystal encapsulation or weak adhesion. This work reports a low-cost high-throughput and green strategy to produce binder-free MnO₂-nonwoven composite air filters. The production approach is energy saving and environmentally friendly, which combines MnO₂ crystal coating on bicomponent polyolefin spunbond nonwovens and subsequent heat immobilizing of crystals, followed by the removal of weakly bonded MnO₂. The binder-free MnO₂-nonwoven composites show firm catalyst-fiber adhesion, a gradient porous structure, and excellent formaldehyde removal capability (94.5% ± 0.4%) at room temperature, and the reaction rate constant is 0.040 min⁻¹. In contrast to the MnO₂-nonwoven composites containing organic binders, the HCHO removal of binder-free filters increased by over 4%. This study proposes an alternative solution in producing catalyst/fabric composite filters for formaldehyde removal.

Low-Temperature Oxidation Removal of Formaldehyde Catalyzed by Mn-Containing Mixed-Oxide-Supported Bismuth Oxychloride in Air

The Mn-containing mixed-oxide-supported bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) catalysts were prepared by calcining their corresponding parent hydrotalcite supported BiOCl. The crystal structure of BiOCl was found to be intact during calcination, while significant differences appeared in the chemical state of Mn and the redox capacities of the catalysts before and after calcination. Compared to the hydrotalcite-supported catalysts, the mixed-oxide-supported BiOCl showed much higher catalytic performance in the oxidation removal of formaldehyde due to the synergetic catalysis of more surface oxygen vacancies and higher surface basicity. The complete removal of formaldehyde could be achieved at 70 °C, and the removal efficiency was maintained more than 90% for 21 h. A possible reaction mechanism was also proposed.

Low temperature pickling regeneration process for remarkable enhancement in Cu(II) adsorptivity over spent activated carbon fiber

In this paper, a simple and efficient regeneration technology of low-temperature pickling regeneration process is proposed for Cu(II)-adsorbed activated carbon fiber felts (ACFFs). The regeneration process mainly uses the strong oxidation of acidic regenerant above boiling point to regenerate ACFFs in a confined space. With no demand for high temperature and high pressure, the regeneration process achieves a high efficiency regeneration and a remarkable enhancement of Cu(II) adsorptivity simultaneously for Cu(II)-adsorbed ACFFs. After parameter optimization, the pickling temperature of 383 K, pickling time of 3 h and HNO₃ concentration of 150 g/L are adopted as optimum process parameters for the reutilization of ACFFs. The regeneration rates of ACFFs in five cycles are maintained at 424.08%-829.59%. Analytical results show that the enhancement of Cu(II) adsorptivity is mainly caused by the remarkable enhancement of specific surface area (increased by 106.08%), micropore volume (increased by 102.17%) and more abundant surface chemical structure (particularly carboxyl and nitro group) after treated by the regeneration process.

Greatly enhanced oxidative activity of δ-MnO2 to degrade organic pollutants driven by dominantly exposed {-111} facets

The reactivity of oxidizing materials is highly related to the exposed crystal facets. Herein, δ-MnO₂ with different exposure facets were synthesized and the oxidative activities of the as-prepared materials were evaluated by degrading phenol in water without light. The degradation rate of phenol by δ-MnO₂-{-111} was significantly higher than that by δ-MnO₂-{001}. δ-MnO₂-{-111} also displayed high degradation efficiency to a variety of other organic pollutants, such as ciprofloxacin, bisphenol A, 3-chlorophenol and sulfadiazine. Comprehensive characterization and theoretical calculation verified that the {-111} facet had high density of Mn³⁺, thus displaying enhanced direct oxidative capacity to degrade organic pollutants. In addition, the dominant {-111} facet promoted adsorption/activation of O₂, thus favored the generation of superoxide radical (O₂^•-), which actively participated in the degradation of pollutants. The phenol degradation kinetics could be divided into two distinct phases: the rapid phase (k1_obs = 0.468 min^-1) induced by Mn³⁺ and the slower phase (k2_obs = 0.048 min^-1) dominated by O₂^•-. The synergistically promoted non-radical and radical based reactions resulted in greatly enhanced the oxidative activity of the δ-MnO₂-{-111}. These findings deepen the understanding of facet-dependent oxidative performance of materials and provided valuable insights into the possible practical application of δ-MnO₂ for water purification.

MnO2 -Based Materials for Environmental Applications

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂ ) is a promising photo-thermo-electric-responsive semiconductor material for environmental applications, owing to its various favorable properties. However, the unsatisfactory environmental purification efficiency of this material has limited its further applications. Fortunately, in the last few years, significant efforts have been undertaken for improving the environmental purification efficiency of this material and understanding its underlying mechanism. Here, the aim is to summarize the recent experimental and computational research progress in the modification of MnO₂ single species by morphology control, structure construction, facet engineering, and element doping. Moreover, the design and fabrication of MnO₂ -based composites via the construction of homojunctions and MnO₂ /semiconductor/conductor binary/ternary heterojunctions is discussed. Their applications in environmental purification systems, either as an adsorbent material for removing heavy metals, dyes, and microwave (MW) pollution, or as a thermal catalyst, photocatalyst, and electrocatalyst for the degradation of pollutants (water and gas, organic and inorganic) are also highlighted. Finally, the research gaps are summarized and a perspective on the challenges and the direction of future research in nanostructured MnO₂ -based materials in the field of environmental applications is presented. Therefore, basic guidance for rational design and fabrication of high-efficiency MnO₂ -based materials for comprehensive environmental applications is provided.

Hierarchical nanostructures self-assembled from δ-MnO2 ultrathin nanosheets and Mn3O4 octahedrons for efficient room-temperature HCHO oxidation

Self-assembling ultrathin active δ-MnO₂ nanosheets and Mn₃O₄ octahedrons into hierarchical texture enhances room-temperature formaldehyde oxidation at a low-level of Pt.

Preparation of Lignocellulose-Based Activated Carbon Paper as a Manganese Dioxide Carrier for Adsorption and in-situ Catalytic Degradation of Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a colorless, highly toxic, and flammable gas that is harmful to human health. Recently, many efforts have been devoted to the application of activated carbon to absorb formaldehyde. In this work, lignocellulose-based activated carbon fiber paper (LACFP) loaded with manganese dioxide (MnO₂) was fabricated for the adsorption and in-situ catalytic degradation of formaldehyde. LACFP was prepared by two-stage carbonization and activation of sisal hemp pulp-formed paper and was then impregnated with manganese sulfate (MnSO₄) and potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) solutions; MnO₂ then formed by in situ growth on the LACFP base by calcination. The catalytic performance of MnO₂-loaded LACFP for formaldehyde was then investigated. It was found that the suitable carbonization conditions were elevating the temperature first by raising it at 10°C/min from room temperature to 280°C, then at 2°C/min from 280 to 400°C, maintaining the temperature at 400°C for 1 h, and then increasing it quickly from 400 to 700°C at 15°C/min. The conditions used for activation were similar to those for carbonization, with the temperature additionally being held at 700°C for 2 h. The conditions mentioned above were optimized to maintain the fiber structure and shape integrity of the paper, being conducive to loading with catalytically active substances. Regarding the catalytic activity of MnO₂-loaded LACFP, the concentration of formaldehyde decreased by 59 ± 6 ppm and the concentration of ΔCO₂ increased by 75 ± 3 ppm when the reaction proceeded at room temperature for 10 h. The results indicated that MnO₂-loaded LACFP could catalyze formaldehyde into non-toxic substances.

OMS-2-based catalysts with controllable hierarchical morphologies for highly efficient catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde

Cryptomelane-type octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) catalysts are currently attracting tremendous attention due to their low-cost and remarkable thermo-catalytic activity. However, it is still difficult for OMS-2 catalysts to completely degrade formaldehyde at relatively low or even ambient temperature. In this work, OMS-2 catalysts with different ratios of length to diameter were prepared and the OMS-2-s with the minim ratio of length to diameter (1-3) exhibited the best catalytic performance than the other samples. Then, the optimized OMS-2-s nanorods were loaded on the SiO₂ nanofibers via a simultaneous electrospining-spray strategy. The evaluation for the dynamic catalytic activities of the samples showed that, the T₅₀ (HCHO conversion reached to 50%) for the OMS-2/SiO₂ nanofibrous membranes was decreased by 24 °C than the OMS-2-s nanorods. Furthermore, in the static experiment of HCHO decomposition, the composite membrane could achieve a catalytic efficiency of 52.3% at 25 °C, much higher than that of the OMS-2-s nanorods (45.9%). This work offers a new strategy to improve the catalytic efficiency of OMS-2 by controlling the morphology and loading of OMS-2 nanorods, and also designs a kind of advanced nano OMS-2-based nanofibrous membranes with hierarchical nanostructures for the highly efficient formaldehyde elimination during the practical application.

Advanced oxidation and adsorptive bubble separation of dyes using MnO2-coated Fe3O4 nanocomposite

In this study, MnO₂-coated Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite (Fe₃O₄@MnO₂) was utilized to decompose H₂O₂ to remove dyes via advanced oxidation processes and adsorptive bubble separation (advanced ABS system). The combination of H₂O₂ and Fe₃O₄@MnO₂ generated bubbles and formed a stable foam layer in the presence of a surfactant; sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), separating dye from the solution. On the basis of radical quenching experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, it was confirmed that the MnO₂ shell of catalyst was reduced to Mn₂O₃ by H₂O₂, generating radicals and oxygen gas for the removal of dyes. In the advanced ABS system, ∙OH and ¹O₂ were the main radical species and the O₂ concentrations of 0.34 and 0.71 mM were increased in the solution and headspace, respectively. The advanced ABS system demonstrated a high removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) (99.0%) and the removal rate increased with increasing amounts of components (H₂O₂, catalyst and SDS). Also, the advanced ABS system maintained high removal efficiency of MB at a wide pH range of 3-9. In addition to the anionic surfactant of SDS, CTAC was applied as a cationic surfactant for the advanced ABS of anionic dyes. Lastly, the scale-up system was applied to remediate dye-contaminated river water and industrial wastewater for possible practical applications.

A γ-Fe2O3-modified nanoflower-MnO2/attapulgite catalyst for low temperature SCR of NOx with NH3

A novel mesoporous γ-Fe₂O₃-modified nanoflower-MnO₂/attapulgite catalyst has been fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method and used for low temperature SCR of NO_x with NH₃.

The synthetic evaluation of CuO-MnOx-modified pinecone biochar for simultaneous removal formaldehyde and elemental mercury from simulated flue gas

A series of low-cost Cu-Mn-mixed oxides supported on biochar (CuMn/HBC) synthesized by an impregnation method were applied to study the simultaneous removal of formaldehyde (HCHO) and elemental mercury (Hg⁰) at 100-300° C from simulated flue gas. The metal loading value, Cu/Mn molar ratio, flue gas components, reaction mechanism, and interrelationship between HCHO removal and Hg⁰ removal were also investigated. Results suggested that 12%CuMn/HBC showed the highest removal efficiency of HCHO and Hg⁰ at 175° C corresponding to 89%and 83%, respectively. The addition of NO and SO₂ exhibited inhibitive influence on HCHO removal. For the removal of Hg⁰, NO showed slightly positive influence and SO₂ had an inhibitive effect. Meanwhile, O₂ had positive impact on the removal of HCHO and Hg⁰. The samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, BET, XPS, ICP-AES, FTIR, and H₂-TPR. The sample characterization illustrated that CuMn/HBC possessed the high pore volume and specific surface area. The chemisorbed oxygen (O_β) and the lattice oxygen (O_α) which took part in the removal reaction largely existed in CuMn/HBC. What is more, MnO₂ and CuO (or Cu₂O) were highly dispersed on the CuMn/HBC surface. The strong synergistic effect between Cu-Mn mixed oxides was critical to the removal reaction of HCHO and Hg⁰ via the redox equilibrium of Mn⁴⁺ + Cu⁺ ↔ Mn³⁺ + Cu²⁺.

Ag–K/MnO2 nanorods as highly efficient catalysts for formaldehyde oxidation at low temperature

A series of Ag–K/MnO₂ nanorods with various molar ratios of K/Ag were synthesized by a conventional wetness incipient impregnation method. The as-prepared catalysts were used for the catalytic oxidation of HCHO. The Ag–K/MnO₂ nanorods with an optimal K/Ag molar ratio of 0.9 demonstrated excellent HCHO conversion efficiency of 100% at a low temperature of 60 °C. The structures of the samples were investigated by BET, TEM, SEM, XRD, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and XPS. The results showed that Ag–0.9K/MnO₂-r exhibited more facile reducibility and greatly abundant surface active oxygen species, endowing it with the best catalytic activity of the studied catalysts. This work provides new insights into the development of low-cost and highly efficient catalysts for the removal of HCHO.

Ag–K/MnO₂ nanorods with appropriate K/Ag ratio demonstrated excellent catalytic activity for complete oxidation of formaldehyde.