Surface-Phosphorylated Ceria for Chlorine-Tolerance Catalysis

Synergistic Enhancement of Hydrolysis-Oxidation Drives Efficient Catalytic Elimination of Chlorinated Aromatics over VOx/TiO2 Catalysts at Low Temperature

The efficient catalytic elimination of toxic chlorinated aromatics (i.e., dioxins, chlorobenzenes, etc.) at low temperature is still a great challenge. Based on the VOx/TiO2 catalyst, a hydrolysis-oxidation strategy (CeOx and WOx doping) was built for desirable low-temperature catalytic activity, product selectivity, H2O tolerance, and chlorine desorption. The in situ and ex situ experimental characterizations and density functional theory calculations revealed that hydrolysis sites favored molecular adsorption, C-Cl cleavage, and HCl formation; meanwhile, oxidation sites enhanced the activation of reactive oxygen species and improved oxygen mobility and redox properties. The enhanced oxygen storage/release capacity (33-53 fold) and extended redox cycle (e.g., from V5+↔V4+ to V5+↔V4+↔V3+) favored the deep oxidation. The introduction of H2O triggered the hydrolysis-oxidation process that promoted the catalytic activity and chlorine desorption due to the elevated generation of ·O2- and higher-activity ·OH. Furthermore, the water resistance of the VOx/TiO2-based catalyst was enhanced after the application of the hydrolysis-oxidation strategy. The V-Ce-W/Ti catalyst exhibited remarkable removal efficiency of dioxins (96.7-98.2%), which was reduced from 0.34-0.48 ng I-TEQ Nm-3 to 0.006-0.016 ng I-TEQ Nm-3 during pilot tests at 160-180 °C, achieving ultralow emissions. This work provides practical guidance for industry development for efficiently eliminating chlorinated organics in flue gas.

Engineering Subnanometric Electronic Interaction between Ru and Mn in Zeolite Boosts Catalytic Oxidation of Dichloromethane

Designing catalysts with both activity and stability remains a grand challenge for the removal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) by catalytic oxidation. Herein, the Ru-Mn subnanometric species encapsulated in ZSM-5 zeolite (RuMn@Z) was synthesized. It shows that the 90% conversion of dichloromethane is as low as 320 °C, which is significantly lower than that of Ru@Z (350 °C) and the impregnation catalyst (RuMn/Z, 355 °C). Importantly, the RuMn@Z catalyst exhibits excellent high-temperature resistance (800 °C for 10 h), water resistance, long-term stability, and cyclic stability. Different from the RuMn/Z with nanoscale metal interaction, Ru and Mn species in RuMn@Z have strong electronic interaction on the subnanometric scale due to the confinement effect of zeolite. As the electronic structure regulator, the Mn species keeps the Ru species in an electron-deficient state through the Ru-O-Mn bonds, which effectively activates lattice oxygen species and molecular oxygen to participate in the reaction. Moreover, the confinement effect also makes the acid tightly coupled with the redox site, which promotes the rapid conversion of dechlorination products, formates, and other intermediate products. Therefore, this study provides valuable insights into the design of high-performance catalysts for CVOCs removal and other environmental fields.

Catalytic Hydrolysis-Oxidation of Halogenated Methanes over Phase- and Defect-Engineered CePO4: Halogenated Byproduct-Free and Stable Elimination

Catalytic elimination of halogenated volatile organic compound (HVOC) emissions was still a huge challenge through conventional catalytic combustion technology, such as the formation of halogenated byproducts and the destruction of the catalyst structure; hence, more efficient catalysts or a new route was eagerly desired. In this work, crystal phase- and defect-engineered CePO4 was rationally designed and presented abundant acid sites, moderate redox ability, and superior thermal/chemical stability; the halogenated byproduct-free and stable elimination of HVOCs was achieved especially in the presence of H2O. Hexagonal and defective CePO4 with more structural H2O and Brønsted/Lewis acid sites was more reactive and durable compared with monoclinic CePO4. Based on the phase and defect engineering of CePO4, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra (DRIFTS), and kinetic isotope effect experiments, a hydrolysis-oxidation pathway characterized by the direct involvement of H2O was proposed. Initiatively, an external electric field (5 mA) significantly accelerated the elimination of HVOCs and even 90% conversion of dichloromethane could be obtained at 170 °C over hexagonal CePO4. The structure-performance-dependent relationships of the engineered CePO4 contributed to the rational design of efficient catalysts for HVOC elimination, and this pioneering work on external electric field-assisted catalytic hydrolysis-oxidation established an innovative HVOC elimination route.

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.

Efficient Catalytic Elimination of Chlorobenzene Based on the Water Vapor-Promoting Effect within Mn-Based Catalysts: Activity Enhancement and Polychlorinated Byproduct Inhibition

Achieving no or low polychlorinated byproduct selectivity is essential for the chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) degradation, and the positive roles of water vapor may contribute to this goal. Herein, the oxidation behaviors of chlorobenzene over typical Mn-based catalysts (MnO2 and acid-modified MnO2) under dry and humid conditions were fully explored. The results showed that the presence of water vapor significantly facilitates the deep mineralization of chlorobenzene and restrains the formation of Cl2 and dichlorobenzene. This remarkable water vapor-promoting effect was conferred by the MnO2 substrate, which could suitably synergize with the postconstructed acidic sites, leading to good activity, stability, and desirable product distribution of acid-modified MnO2 catalysts under humid conditions. A series of experiments including isotope-traced (D2O and H218O) CB-TPO provided complete insights into the direct involvement of water molecules in chlorobenzene oxidation reaction and attributed the root cause of the water vapor-promoting effect to the proton-rich environment and highly reactive water-source oxygen species rather than to the commonly assumed cleaning effect or hydrogen proton transfer processes (generation of active OOH). This work demonstrates the application potential of Mn-based catalysts in CVOCs elimination under practical application conditions (containing water vapor) and provides the guidance for the development of superior industrial catalysts.