Boosting Toluene Combustion by Engineering Co–O Strength in Cobalt Oxide Catalysts

Exploring active and low-cost transition metal oxides (TMOs) based catalysts for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) abatement is vital for air pollution control technologies. Since 18 oxygen atoms are required for the complete mineralization of a toluene molecule, the participation of a large amount of active oxygen is a key requirement for the catalytic oxidation of toluene. Here, toluene degradation was improved by weakening the Co–O bond strength on the surface of cobalt oxide, so as to increase the amount of active oxygen species, while maintaining the high stability of the catalyst for toluene combustion. The bond strength of Co–O and the amount of surface active O₂ was regulated by tuning the pyrolysis temperature. The catalyst’s redox ability and surface oxygen species activity are improved due to the weakening of the Co–O bond strength. It has been demonstrated that active oxygen plays a crucial role in boosting toluene combustion by engineering Co–O strength in cobalt oxide catalysts. This work provides a new understanding of the exploration and development of high-performance TMO catalysts for VOCs abatement.