The effect of hydrogen reduction of α-MnO2 on formaldehyde oxidation: The roles of oxygen vacancies

A series of α-MnO2 catalysts with various Mn valence states were treated by hydrogen reduction for different periods of time. Their catalytic capacity for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation was evaluated. The results indicated that hydrogen reduction dramatically improves the catalytic performance of α-MnO2 in HCHO oxidation. The α-MnO2 sample reduced by hydrogen for 2 h possessed superior activity and could completely oxidize 150 ppm HCHO to CO2 and H2O at 70 °C. Multiple characterization results illustrated that hydrogen reduction contributed to the production of more oxygen vacancies. The oxygen vacancies on the catalyst surface enhanced the adsorption, activation and mobility of O2 molecules, and thereby enhanced HCHO catalytic oxidation. This study provides novel insight into the design of outstanding MnOx catalysts for HCHO oxidation at low temperature.