Ligand-protected precipitation of cobalt over silica nanospheres for catalytic oxidation of toluene

Abstract

Cobalt-based materials have been considered as an efficient catalyst for oxidative degradation of VOCs. However, the bulky and uneven particles strongly restrict the activity and stability. To address these challenges, 30 nm SiO2 nanospheres are employed as a functional support for dispersive loading cobalt active species. One-pot synthesis is performed through evaporation-induced precipitation of ethylenediamine coordinated cobalt precursors and monodisperse silica colloids, resulting in the uniform dispersion of ultrasmall Co3O4 particles over SiO2 nanospheres. In the reaction of toluene oxidation, the optimal sample loaded with 10% cobalt (10Co/SiO2_LP) exhibits the superior catalytic performance embodied in a low T90 of 235oC, excellent long-term stability and vapor resistance comparing with the contrast sample by incipient impregnation (10Co/SiO2_IM) as well as the similar reported cobalt-based catalysts. It is expected the demonstrated work will provide a straightforward method for preparing high-performance non-noble metal catalysts applying to the oxidative degradation of VOCs.