Room-temperature catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde on catalysts

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the major pollutants in indoor air and long-term exposure to HCHO even at very low concentrations is harmful and may cause health problems including nasal tumors and skin irritation. Removal of HCHO is necessary to improve the quality of indoor air. Catalytic oxidative decomposition of HCHO at room temperature is regarded as the most promising strategy for the removal of HCHO because it is environmentally friendly and energy-saving. In this review, the reported catalytic materials for room-temperature catalytic oxidative decomposition of HCHO are discussed. In addition, the development and performance of catalysts for HCHO oxidative decomposition, the mechanism of this catalytic process, the surface chemistry and structure factors influencing catalytic performances, existing challenges in the development of catalysts with low cost and high activity and perspectives for important topics of future research in this area were reviewed.