Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2024, Vol. 60: 337-350.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(24)60022-7

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Alkali-modified copper manganite spinel for room temperature catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde in air

Yongbiao Huaa, Kumar Vikranta, Ki-Hyun Kima,*(), Philippe M. Heynderickxb,c, Danil W. Boukhvalovd,e   

  1. aDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul 04763, Korea
    bCenter for Environmental and Energy Research (CEER), Engineering of Materials via Catalysis and Characterization, Ghent University Global Campus, 119-5 Songdo Munhwa-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840, Korea
    cDepartment of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    dCollege of Science, Institute of Materials Physics and Chemistry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China
    eInstitute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Yekaterinburg, Russia
  • Received:2024-02-02 Accepted:2024-03-08 Online:2024-05-18 Published:2024-05-20
  • Contact: E-mail: kkim61@hanyang.ac.kr (K.-H. Kim).

Abstract:

Formaldehyde (FA) is present ubiquitously in indoor environment as a hazardous pollutant with carcinogenic risks. For the efficient mitigation of FA, catalytic oxidation is a recommendable option to simultaneously satisfy both material cost (e.g., avoiding noble metals) and low-energy requirement (under dark and at room temperature (RT)). From this perspective, a cost-effective alkali modified copper manganite spinel (CuMn2O4) catalyst has firstly been prepared and employed for FA oxidation. Specifically, alkali (1 mol L−1 potassium hydroxide)-modified CuMn2O4 (1-CuMn2O4) achieves 100% FA (50 ppm (gas hourly space velocity of 4777 h−1)) conversion (XFA) at RT. The steady-state reaction rate of 1-CuMn2O4 at 10% XFA is 8.18 × 10‒2 mmol g−1 h−1. According to in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, FA molecules are oxidized into water and carbon dioxide through dioxymethylene and formate intermediates. Based on density functional theory simulation, the higher catalytic performance of 1-CuMn2O4 for FA oxidation is attributed to the combined effects of firmer attachment of FA molecules to 1-CuMn2O4 surface, lower energy cost of FA adsorption, and lower desorption energy for the final products from the substrate surface. The present work is expected to provide insights into high-performing non-noble metal catalysts for RT oxidative removal of FA from indoor air.

Key words: Formaldehyde, Alkali modification, Copper manganite spinel, Catalytic oxidation, Indoor air