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Enhancing Low-Temperature HCHO Oxidation: Investigation selectivity and Catalytic Activity of Ag, Co, Mo, and Cr Catalysts Supported on γ-Al2O3

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Abstract

Formaldehyde (HCHO) stands out as a notorious indoor air pollutant, known for its potential to pose serious health risks through prolonged exposure. This study addresses the imperative need to efficiently eliminate HCHO from indoor environments, employing a catalytic oxidation approach at ambient temperature. The research adopts a simple yet effective two-step synthesis process, incorporating sol–gel and impregnation techniques to fabricate diverse catalysts denoted as 5%M/γ-Al2O3, with M representing Ag, Co, Mo, and Cr. The materials were characterized using a variety of techniques such as XRD, BET, FT-IR, TEM, ICP-OES and H2-TPR. The catalytic activity in the oxidation processes of formaldehyde were studied using an advanced analytical device equipped with an infrared analyzer (MKS multigas 2030), enabling precise differentiation of the various products. The Al2O3 support exhibited distinct diffraction peaks corresponding to the cubic structure of the γ-alumina phase, showcasing high surface area and porosity. The introduction of impregnated metals played a pivotal role in influencing both the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the catalysts, thereby impacting the selectivity. The Ag/γ-Al2O3 catalyst demonstrated good performance, achieving 100% conversion of HCHO at 125 °C, with the exclusive production of CO2 and water as by-products. Furthermore, the Co/γ-Al2O3 catalyst exhibited complete formaldehyde oxidation, with enhanced CO2 selectivity at around 250 °C. TEM analysis provided valuable insights into the particle dispersion and size, revealing a dependency on the type of metal utilized. The FTIR analysis identified the Al–O–Al vibration, characterizing it at the vibrational frequencies of 670 cm−1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Catalysis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia

    Rached Ousji, Mohamed Achraf Bouabdellah, Zouhaier Ksibi & Abdelhamid Ghorbel

  2. Institut de Chimie Des Milieux Et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Université de Poitiers, CNRS, TSA51106 – F86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, Poitiers, France

    Céline Fontaine

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  1. Rached Ousji
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Ousji, R., Bouabdellah, M.A., Ksibi, Z. et al. Enhancing Low-Temperature HCHO Oxidation: Investigation selectivity and Catalytic Activity of Ag, Co, Mo, and Cr Catalysts Supported on γ-Al2O3. Chemistry Africa (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-024-00967-6

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