Recent progress on VOC pollution control via the catalytic method

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause atmospheric environmental problems such as haze and photochemical smog, which seriously restrict the sustainable development of the environment and threaten human health. Effective and comprehensive implementation of VOC prevention is an arduous task. Catalytic oxidation can achieve VOC removal with low energy costs and high efficiency. This review presents representative research progress in thermal or photothermal catalysis over the past ten years, concentrating on various catalysts with distinctive morphologies and structures designed and prepared for investigating single- or multi-component VOC purification, synergetic elimination of VOCs and NO_x, and VOCs resource utilization. Furthermore, the influence mechanisms of H₂O, CO₂, and SO₂ on the catalytic stability are summarized. The activity and stability of the catalysts affect their lifespan and cost of use. In particular, for supported noble-metal catalysts with poor stability, some unique design strategies have been summarized for the efficient removal of VOCs while balancing low noble-metal usage and optimized catalytic performance. Finally, the scientific problems and future research directions are presented. Coordinated treatment of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases should be considered. This study is expected to provide profound insights into the design of catalysts with high activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as air pollution control via catalytic methods.