Effective desorption of chlorine species is critical
for hindering
the formation of chlorinated intermediates in the catalytic destruction
of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). Here, Ru/MnCo3O
x
catalysts with excellent activity,
reaction durability and superior chlorine transformation ability for
1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) destruction were rationally fabricated.
The presence of Ru facilitates the electron transfer among Ru, Mn,
Co, and O species, forming larger amounts of Ru6+/Ru4+, Mn4+, Co2+, and active oxygen species
(O2–), and therefore promoting the catalytic activity
via accelerating and strengthening the cleavage of the C–Cl
bond at low temperatures. However, Ru species plays a neutral role
in the desorption of surface chlorine species under dry conditions
and the polychlorinated byproducts such as CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CCl4, CH2ClCHCl2, and CHClCCl2 are inevitably formed. Interestingly, the
desorption of chlorine species over Ru-based catalysts can be dramatically
promoted under humid conditions, suppressing the formation of hazardous
polychlorinated byproducts effectively (over 3 times lower under 2
vol % of water vapor conditions than the dry conditions). Results
reveal that the presence of Ru enables Cl species transformation and
dissociation over the catalyst surface that fosters the destruction
of 1,2-DCE on adjacent Mn/Co sites under humid conditions, providing
a rationale for high catalytic activity of the catalysts and paving
the way for industrially relevant CVOC benign destruction.