Highly Efficient Ozone‐Assisted Catalytic Oxidation of VOCs under Mild Conditions by Cu/MnO <sub>2</sub> Catalyst
Chunhui Zhai, Dongling Jia, Liangshi Hao, Langqi Chen, Ruoyi Tang, Xing Chen, Shuchang Zhong, Yitong Lin, Adeleh Divsalar, Quanhong Zhou, Xianting Ding, Jielin Sun
Abstract
Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), recognized as critical contributors to atmospheric pollution, demand energy‐intensive degradation processes typically exceeding 200 °C for complete mineralization. The development of cost‐effective catalytic systems capable of efficient VOC removal under low‐temperature conditions remains a pressing global challenge. Herein, an ozone‐ assisted catalytic oxidation (OACO) strategy is proposed utilizing a copper‐doped α‐MnO 2 catalyst (Cu/MnO 2 ) to achieve high‐performance VOC degradation at mild temperatures. The Cu‐doped α‐MnO 2 catalyst, characterized by a distinct rod‐like nanostructure, exhibited a significant enhancement in its catalytic activity. This meticulously designed approach capitalizes on the beneficial crystal phase of α‐MnO 2 and incorporates strategic Cu modification, thereby achieving enhanced catalytic performance. Mechanistically, ozone activation generates reactive oxygen species, which synergistically mediate VOC oxidation pathways. Systematic evaluation demonstrated that the OACO system achieves > 80% conversion efficiency for diverse VOCs (toluene, trimethylamine, ethyl acetate, and ethanol) at 80–100 °C, a temperature significantly lower than conventional thermal catalysis. This work establishes a scalable and energy‐efficient paradigm for VOC abatement, bridging the gap between catalytic activity and operational feasibility in environmental remediation.