Amorphous MnOx modified Co3O4 for formaldehyde oxidation: improved low-temperature catalytic and photothermocatalytic activity

•The introduction of MnOx improves both the TC activity and PTC activity.•A synergetic effect between PC and TC oxidation does exist.•Integration of NIR absorption activity with TC activity of the catalyst realizes.•This work suggests a new idea of utilizing full solar spectrum light.

Amorphous MnOx modified Co3O4 (CoxMny) with high BET surface area was prepared by a template-free strategy. The introduction of amorphous MnOx dramatically improved both the low-temperature thermocatalytic activity and photothermocatalytic (PTC) activity. The results demonstrated the integration of near-infrared absorption activity of Co3O4 with the low-temperature thermocatalytic activity of amorphous MnOx and excellent PTC activity was achieved. The unique property of amorphous MnOx, the oxygen absorption behavior, and the interaction between amorphous MnOx and Co3O4 are found to be responsible for the enhanced thermocatalytic activity of CoxMny. This work provides the insights into the rational design of high-performance photocatalyst and suggests a new idea of utilizing solar energy from UV, visible to infrared light.

Graphical abstractAmorphous MnOx modified Co3O4 (CoxMny) with improved low-temperature catalytic and photothermocatalytic activity for formaldehyde degradation was prepared, and the photothermocatalytic synergetic activity was carefully investigated.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide