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Iron‐Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles as a Highly Efficient Adsorbent and Catalyst for Toluene Oxidation in the Gas Phase
Author(s) -
Popova Margarita,
Ristić Alenka,
Lazar Karoly,
Maučec Darja,
Vassileva Mihaela,
Novak Tušar Nataša
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201200562
Subject(s) - catalysis , adsorption , toluene , chemistry , catalytic oxidation , redox , chemical engineering , decomposition , inorganic chemistry , heterogeneous catalysis , nanoparticle , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , selectivity , materials science , organic chemistry , engineering
Catalytic oxidation is one of the most important industrially applicable processes for the decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in polluted air. The advanced VOC removal process is composed of an adsorption unit and a catalytic incinerator. Many efforts have been made to design a combined adsorption–catalytic unit with optimal activity and selectivity. We demonstrate that iron‐functionalized silica nanoparticles with interparticle mesoporosity (FeKIL‐2) act as highly efficient adsorbents and catalysts with optimal Fe/Si molar ratios of 0.01 in toluene oxidation as model VOCs in the gas phase. By using UV/Vis, FTIR, and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques, we prove that the enhanced activity of the catalyst is attributed to iron incorporated into the silica matrix, which depends on the iron content. The iron content with Fe/Si≤0.01 leads to the formation of stable Fe 3+ ions in the silica matrix, which ensures easier oxygen release from the catalyst (Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ redox cycles). The increase in the iron content with Fe/Si>0.01 leads to the formation of oligonuclear iron complexes. The material thus introduces a promising, environmentally friendly, cost‐effective, and highly efficient catalyst with combined adsorption and catalytic properties for the removal of low‐concentration VOC from polluted air.