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

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. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.