Enhanced catalytic elimination of typical VOCs over ZnCoOx catalyst derived from in situ pyrolysis of ZnCo bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks.

In this work, ZnCoO x catalysts were prepared using in situ pyrolysis of ZnCo bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), which were rationally designed on the basis of a metal ion doping strategy. The derived Zn 0.05 CoO x with proper doping of Zn (Zn/Co molar ratio of 0.05) exhibited superior catalytic activity and durability towards catalytic elimination of different volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, toluene and cyclohexane under simulated real-exhaust conditions. Both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites were beneficial for cyclohexane degradation, whereas only Lewis acid sites were responsible for eliminations of benzene and toluene. In addition, the effect of chemical structures of VOCs on their catalytic elimination over Zn 0.05 CoO x was explored. Compared to benzene and toluene, cyclohexane molecule was more easily eliminated, attributed to strong adsorption onto catalyst and special chemical structure of cyclohexane. The obtained results can provide new strategy for rational design of highly efficient catalytic materials for eliminating VOCs. Rational design and fabrication of ZIFs-derived metal oxide catalysts for efficient elimination of various VOCs in real world environment. [Display omitted] • Zn-doped CoO x catalyst is fabricated by in situ pyrolysis of ZnCo bimetallic ZIFs. • The ZIFs-derived catalyst shows superior catalytic performance for VOC elimination. • The acid sites have an important influence on catalytic elimination of typical VOCs. • VOC chemical structure on their catalytic elimination efficiency has been explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]