Construction of strongly-coupled CeO2/MnO2 heterogeneous catalysts for highly-efficient removal of formaldehyde

Abstract

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is highly toxic, but its low-temperature elimination is still a pressing challenge nowadays. In this work, we demonstrate an interface engineering strategy to boost the catalytic performance of the promising MnO₂ catalysts by coupling the CeO₂ promoters on the surface. The as-prepared CeO₂–MnO₂ mixed-metal oxide (CeMn-x (x = 0.1, 0.5, and 1)) catalysts with a Ce/Mn ratio of 0.5/10 possess excellent catalytic activity and a relatively low T₁₀₀ (the temperature for 100% HCHO conversion) of 95 °C is achieved. More oxygen vacancies, outstanding redox ability, and the strong interaction between CeO₂ and MnO₂ are responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity of CeMn. This study provides novel insight into the design of MnO_x catalysts for the purification of HCHO at low temperatures.