Removal of ethyl acetate in air by using different types of corona discharges generated in a honeycomb monolith structure coated with Pd/γ-alumina

A brief review of preparation and applications of monolithic aerogels in atmospheric environmental purification

Monolithic aerogels are promising candidates for use in atmospheric environmental purification due to their structural advantages, such as fine building block size together with high specific surface area, abundant pore structure, etc. Additionally, monolithic aerogels possess a unique monolithic macrostructure that sets them apart from aerogel powders and nanoparticles in practical environmental clean-up applications. This review delves into the available synthesis strategies and atmospheric environmental applications of monolithic aerogels, covering types of monolithic aerogels including SiO2, graphene, metal oxides and their combinations, along with their preparation methods. In particular, recent developments for VOC adsorption, CO2 capture, catalytic oxidation of VOCs and catalytic reduction of CO2 are highlighted. Finally, challenges and future opportunities for monolithic aerogels in the atmospheric environmental purification field are proposed. This review provides valuable insights for designing and utilizing monolithic aerogel-based functional materials.

Investigation on removal of multi-component volatile organic compounds in a two-stage plasma catalytic oxidation system - Comparison of X (X=Cu, Fe, Ce and La) doped Mn2O3 catalysts

Mn₂O₃-X catalysts (X = Cu, Fe, Ce and La) were prepared based on γ-Al₂O₃ for the mixture degradation of muti-component volatile organic compounds (VOCs) composed of toluene, acetone, and ethyl acetate. The catalysts were characterized, and the density functional theory (DFT) simulation of ozone adsorption on Mn₂O₃-X were carried out to investigate the influence of adsorption energy on catalytic performance. The results showed that the removal efficiency (RE) of each VOC component was similarly improved by Mn₂O₃-X catalysts, and the greatest increase in VOCs' removal efficiency was obtained (7.8% for toluene, 86.2% for acetone, and 82.5% for ethyl acetate) at a special input energy (SIE) of 700 J L^-1 with Mn₂O₃-La catalyst. Characterization results demonstrated that Mn₂O₃-La catalyst had the highest content of low valence Mn elements and the greatest O_ads/O_latt ratio, as well as the lowest reduction temperature. Mn₂O₃-La catalyst also presented superior catalytic effect in improving carbon balance (CB) and CO₂ selectivity ( [Formula: see text] ). The CB and [Formula: see text] were increased by 47.7% and 12.61% respectively with Mn₂O₃-La at a SIE of 400 J L^-1 compared with that when only γ-Al₂O₃ was applied. The DFT simulation results of ozone adsorption on Mn₂O₃-X catalysts indicated that the adsorption energy of catalyst crystal was related to the catalytic performance of the catalyst. The Mn₂O₃-La/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst, which had the highest absolute value of adsorption energy, presented the best performance in improving VOCs' RE.

Influencing factors and kinetics study on the degradation of gaseous ethyl acetate by micro-nano bubbles

As an eco-friendly technology, micro-nano bubbles have gained extensive attention due to their excellent properties. We carried out the experiments to investigate the degradation performance of micro-nano bubbles on ethyl acetate at ambient temperature and pressure. The effects were deeply analyzed by studying the treatment time, initial concentration, and mixed components on ethyl acetate. Treatment time at 30 min had the best results, with a removal efficiency of 86.07 % and a degradation rate of 0.340 ± 0.021 min^-1. With the increase of the initial ethyl acetate concentration, the degradation extent first increased and then decreased. The best efficiency of 94.61% and the maximum reaction rate of 8.79×10^-3 min^-1 were achieved at an initial concentration of 265.6 mg/m³. In addition, ethyl acetate degradation was inhibited by the presence of butyl acetate, and removal efficiency of mixed components was lower than that of single components. The GC-MS results showed that possible intermediates, such as ethanol and acetone, were produced during the decomposition process, which was expected to eventually decompose into CO₂ and H₂O as the reaction progresses. This work presents a new method for the degradation of ethyl acetate and provides valuable information for the degradation of organic matter by micro-nano bubbles.

Plasma-Catalytic Reforming of Naphthalene and Toluene as Biomass Tar over Honeycomb Catalysts in a Gliding Arc Reactor

Biomass gasification is a promising and sustainable process to produce renewable and CO2-neutral syngas (H2 and CO). However, the contamination of syngas with tar is one of the major challenges to limit the deployment of biomass gasification on a commercial scale. Here, we propose a hybrid plasma-catalytic system for steam reforming of tar compounds over honeycomb-based catalysts in a gliding arc discharge (GAD) reactor. The reaction performances were evaluated using the blank substrate and coated catalytic materials (γ-Al2O3 and Ni/γ-Al2O3). Compared with the plasma alone process, introducing the honeycomb materials in GAD prolonged the residence time of reactant molecules for collision with plasma reactive species to promote their conversions. The presence of Ni/γ-Al2O3 gave the best performance with the high conversion of toluene (86.3%) and naphthalene (75.5%) and yield of H2 (35.0%) and CO (49.1%), while greatly inhibiting the formation of byproducts. The corresponding highest overall energy efficiency of 50.9 g/kWh was achieved, which was 35.4% higher than that in the plasma alone process. Characterization of the used catalyst and long-term running indicated that the honeycomb material coated with Ni/γ-Al2O3 had strong carbon resistance and excellent stability. The superior catalytic performance of Ni/γ-Al2O3 can be mainly ascribed to the large specific surface area and the in situ reduction of nickel oxide species in the reaction process, which promoted the interaction between plasma reactive species and catalysts and generated the plasma-catalysis synergy.

Oxidation of Toluene by Ozone over Surface-Modified γ-Al2O3: Effect of Ag Addition

In this study, the ability of ozone to oxidise toluene present in low levels into CO and CO2 was studied. The catalytic ozonation of toluene was carried out in a micro-fixed bed reactor. The oxidation was done in two steps: toluene adsorption on the catalyst followed by sequential ozone desorption. Toluene breakdown by ozone at low temperature and atmospheric pressure was achieved using γ-Al2O3 supported transition metal oxides impregnated with a reduced noble metal. The catalyst Ag–CoOx/γ-Al2O3 efficiently oxidised and transformed toluene into products (52.4% COx yield). This catalyst has a high surface area, more acidic sites, and lattice oxygens for better toluene oxidation. The addition of Ag to the CoOx/γ-Al2O3 catalyst surface improved toluene adsorption on the catalyst surface, resulting in improved product yield, selectivity, and carbon balance.