Modulating surface properties of catalysts to promote the oxidation of multi-component VOCs

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are diverse and highly toxic, which poses a serious threat to the environment and human health. Catalytic oxidation is the most effective method for removing VOCs. Under actual industrial conditions, VOCs are usually emitted as a mixture of multiple components. Therefore, constructing catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability is the key to transitioning VOCs treatment from laboratory to industrial applications. Here, we systematically review the research progress on multi-component VOCs catalytic oxidation over the past 30 years and summarize the current difficulties faced. This paper primarily discusses the surface characteristics of catalysts, including the electronic properties of active centers, surface acidity and active oxygen species, which affect the reaction behaviors of multi-component VOCs. It is found that the removal of multi-component VOCs is closely related to the surface properties of the catalyst and VOCs components. Subsequently, strategies are proposed from the perspective of catalysts to promote efficient catalytic oxidation of multi-component VOCs, such as constructing multiple active sites and functional sites isolation, and designing hierarchical pore structures, to alleviate the competitive effects of multi-component VOCs, enhance anti-poisoning ability, and optimize mass transfer pathways. Finally, challenges and countermeasures were proposed from the exploration of the "reaction sites-pathway" mechanism, precise regulation of surface properties, and the introduction of machine learning to enhance catalyst development. This work provides important insights for understanding and developing multi-component VOCs catalytic oxidation catalysts.