Removal of VOCs by Ozone: <i>n</i>-Alkane Oxidation under Mild Conditions

• Main Authors: Alina I. Mytareva, Igor S. Mashkovsky, Sergey A. Kanaev, Dmitriy A. Bokarev, Galina N. Baeva, Alexander V. Kazakov, Alexander Yu. Stakheev
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Catalysts
• Subjects: ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO); ozonation; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); <i>n</i>-alkane oxidation; manganese catalyst; air pollutants
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/4/506

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have a negative effect on both humans and the environment; therefore, it is crucial to minimize their emission. The conventional solution is the catalytic oxidation of VOCs by air; however, in some cases this method requires relatively high temperatures. Thus, the oxidation of short-chain alkanes, which demonstrate the lowest reactivity among VOCs, starts at 250–350 °C. This research deals with the ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) of alkanes at temperatures as low as 25–200 °C using an alumina-supported manganese oxide catalyst. Our data demonstrate that oxidation can be significantly accelerated in the presence of a small amount of O₃. In particular, it was found that <i>n</i>-C₄H₁₀ can be readily oxidized by an air/O₃ mixture over the Mn/Al₂O₃ catalyst at temperatures as low as 25 °C. According to the characterization data (SEM-EDX, XRD, H₂-TPR, and XPS) the superior catalytic performance of the Mn/Al₂O₃ catalyst in OZCO stems from a high concentration of Mn₂O₃ species and oxygen vacancies.