Enhancing formaldehyde oxidation on iridium catalysts using hydrogenated TiO2 supports

Abstract

As promising catalyst supports, hydrogenated metal-oxides can afford engineered surface architectures and electronic configurations to promote catalytic turnover on loading metals. Herein, hydrogenated TiO₂ (H-TiO₂) fabricated via NaBH₄ reduction is successfully introduced to boost the catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO), which is one of the most common and harmful indoor volatile organic compounds. Distinct from the parent TiO₂, H-TiO₂ features enriched surface hydroxyls and enhanced metal–support interactions upon loading Ir, which are responsible for remarkable promotion in HCHO oxidation. In particular, the abundant hydroxyls on H-TiO₂ promote the generation of HCOO⁻, which is believed to be the rate-determining step in HCHO oxidation. This discovery is anticipated to pave the way for exploring high-performance metal catalysts on oxide supports via surface and interfacial engineering.