Low-temperature catalytic oxidation of toluene using CeO2@MIL-101(Fe): Stability against water and SO2

Murindababisha, David; Yusuf, Abubakar; Kow, Kien-Woh; Sun, Yong; Pan, Run; Ren, Yong; Chen, George Zheng; Li, Jianrong; Wang, Chengjun; He, Jun

Abstract

Toluene, a volatile organic compound (VOC), poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating efficient abatement technologies. This study explores the catalytic oxidation of toluene using CeO2-supported MIL-101(Fe) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). A series of CeO2@MIL-101(Fe) catalysts with varying Ce loadings were synthesized and characterized through XRD, BET, XPS, SEM-EDS, HRTEM, H2-TPR, and in situ DRIFTS analyses. Among the synthesized materials, 6 % CeO2@MIL-101(Fe) exhibited superior catalytic performance, achieving 90 % toluene conversion (T90) at 239 °C, alongside remarkable stability over 60 hours. The catalyst demonstrated high tolerance to water vapor and sulfur dioxide (SO2), with full activity recovery after inhibitor removal. In situ DRIFTS and PTR-MS provided insights into the reaction mechanism, indicating that lattice oxygen plays a crucial role in toluene activation. The synergistic interaction between CeO2 and MIL-101(Fe) enhances redox properties and oxygen mobility, improving catalytic efficiency. These findings offer valuable insights into designing robust, MOF-based catalysts for VOC removal, providing a promising approach to mitigating air pollution.

Citation

Murindababisha, D., Yusuf, A., Kow, K.-W., Sun, Y., Pan, R., Ren, Y., Chen, G. Z., Li, J., Wang, C., & He, J. (2025). Low-temperature catalytic oxidation of toluene using CeO2@MIL-101(Fe): Stability against water and SO2. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 197, Article 107005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.107005

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 7, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 15, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-03
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 18, 2025
• Journal: Process Safety and Environmental Protection
• Print ISSN: 0957-5820
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-3598
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 197
• Article Number: 107005
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.107005
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/46582172
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957582025002721?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Low-Temperature Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene Using CeO2@MIL-101(Fe): Stability Against Water and SO2; Journal Title: Process Safety and Environmental Protection; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.107005; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers.