Catalytic oxidation of VOCs and CO on cobalt-based Materials: Strategies and mechanisms for improving activity and stability

VOCs and CO are considered to be one of the main factors causing air pollution. They have received widespread attentions due to their toxicity and serious threats to the environment and human health. Catalytic oxidation has been proved to be a promising and effective technology. As an eco-friendly and cheap material, cobalt-based catalysts based on Co3O4 has become the most competitive and potential catalyst material for eliminating VOCs and CO. However, most of the pollutants are complex in composition, such as water vapor, sulfur dioxide, and other substances, which puts higher requirements on the low-temperature activity and stability of the catalysts. This work systematically presents recent advances in treating VOCs and CO with cobalt-based materials to fill this gap. Specifically, this paper focuses on the optimization strategy of activity and stability of cobalt-based materials and discusses the improvement mechanism of catalyst performance in detail. Finally, the challenges and prospects of cobalt-based catalysts in VOCs and CO oxidation were discussed. This work may guide the reasonable construction of catalysts with excellent activity and anti-toxicity for VOCs and CO oxidation.