Abstract

Manpreet Singh and Kamal Kishore

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/340327

Formaldehyde is considered as one of the major contributor to global air pollution having extreme toxicity even at very low concentrations in air. Evidently, efficient processes and effective materials for the abatement of formaldehyde at low temperature are of great significance. In this paper, we report the comparative study for the catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde in aqueous medium at moderate temperature conditions (20-40^oC). The catalysts used are nanoparticles of Co₃O₄ synthesized via chemical combustion, sol-gel autocombustion, thermal decomposition and hydrothermal route with particle size 21 ± 1 nm, 39 ± 1 nm, 16 ± 1 nm and 25 ± 1 nm respectively. The characterization of the synthesized nanocatalysts was performed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum. The XRD measurements confirm the cubic spinel phase of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Mechanism for the oxidation of formaldehyde has also been proposed.

Cobalt Oxide; Catalytic Oxidation; Formaldehyde; Nanoparticles

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