Work

Construction of a spinel/biochar/attapulgite composite for efficient catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose risks to human health and the environment, making the development of efficient technologies to reduce their emissions a priority. Catalytic oxidation represents a simple, efficient and environmentally friendly method for eliminating VOCs. Herein, a spinel CuCo 2 O 4 /biochar/attapulgite (ATP) composite was successfully synthesized via a sol–gel method using waste walnut shell powder as both a complexing agent and a combustion promoter. The effect of the mass ratio on toluene degradation performance was systematically investigated. The results indicated that when the mass ratio of CuCo 2 O 4 /ATP to the biomass precursor was optimized to 1:4, the catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic oxidation performance for toluene degradation, achieving 99% conversion at 300°C along with high stability. The introduction of biochar induced the formation of abundant oxygen vacancies on the spinel surface and effectively suppressed the agglomeration of CuCo 2 O 4 particles. Moreover, the rich functional groups on biochar improved toluene adsorption, favouring the subsequent catalytic oxidation. The current study offers a cost-effective strategy for VOC abatement by taking advantage of minerals and biomass.

Source: Clay Minerals

DOI: 10.1180/clm.2026.10038

Authors: Jiahui Liang, Menghan Yu, Yan Jiang, Yangyang Zhu, Chao Yao, Xiazhang Li

Institution: Changzhou University

Language: English

Topic: Catalytic Processes in Materials Science

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China