A novel Cu1.5Mn1.5O4 photothermal catalyst with boosted surface lattice oxygen activation for efficiently photothermal mineralization of toluene

Developing a novel photothermal catalyst for efficient mineralization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is of great significance to control air pollution. Herein, for the first-time, a spinel Cu15Mn15O4 nanomaterial with enhanced surface lattice oxygen activation was successfully obtained by a novel light-driven in situ reconstruction strategy from its precursor (CuMnO2) for efficient toluene mineralization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analyses confirm that the CuMnO2 phase was converted into spinel Cu15Mn15O4 phase under full spectrum light irradiation. Ultraviolet-visible-near infrared ray (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations determine that the strong near-infrared absorption ability and low dissociation energy of oxygen bond in Cu15Mn15O4 are beneficial to its surface lattice oxygen activation. Furthermore, O2-temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) further indicate that the surface lattice oxygen of the Cu15Mn15O4 is easily activated under light irradiation, which can promote ring opening of toluene. This research endows a new design of photothermal nanomaterial with enhanced lattice oxygen activation for deep oxidation of VOCs.