Advanced mesoporous adsorbents and catalysts for CO2, NOx, and VOC removal: mechanisms and applications

In recent years, climate change and air pollution have garnered global attention due to their significant threats to human health and the environment. The rising emissions of gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxide (NO_x), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have become pressing environmental issues. Addressing the growing emission of CO₂ and gaseous pollutants urgently requires the development of new materials that can enhance the efficiency of adsorption or catalysis systems. Mesoporous materials have attracted much attention for gas capture and conversion, due to their exceptionally high surface area, interconnect pore networks, and superior mass transfer. These characteristics promise improvements in adsorption/catalysis capabilities, as well as in material durability and stability. This review explores recent advancements in mesoporous materials, such as mesoporous metal oxides (e.g., mesoporous TiO₂, MnO₂, Co₃O₄, and CeO₂), mesoporous silicas, and mesoporous carbon for the adsorption or catalysis of gaseous pollutants (i.e., CO₂, NO_x, and VOCs). Their mesoporous texture and surface chemistry, along with the influence of loading species (e.g., metal and metal oxides) on their efficiency and selectivity for gas capture and conversion, are detailed. Furthermore, the review outlines prevailing trends, identifies key challenges in the development of mesoporous materials, delineates future research directions, and proposes strategies to achieve the deployment of mesoporous materials in gas adsorption and catalysis.