Three-dimensional carbon foam supported MnO2/Pt for rapid capture and catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde at room temperature

Catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO) at room temperature is one of the most viable approaches to indoor HCHO pollution abatement. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) carbon foam decorated with Pt/MnO2 nanosheets (Pt/MnO2-CF) was in-situ synthesized for room-temperature catalytic oxidation of HCHO. The 3D Pt/MnO2-CF with a low platinum content of 0.3 wt% exhibited excellent catalytic activity because of its hierarchically porous structure facilitating the diffusion of reactant molecules. Moreover, an abundance of active oxygen species resulting from oxygen vacancies are favorable for HCHO oxidation. In addition, the carbon foam substrate exhibited a very good HCHO adsorption capability, which helps achieve prompt reduction in HCHO concentration in the gas-phase and subsequent complete oxidation of adsorbed HCHO. The combination of adsorption and oxidation was more favorable for oxidative decomposition of HCHO. This work demonstrates that such 3D nanocomposites with low noble metal loading have promising application for indoor HCHO removal and air purification.