Non-thermal plasma-modified ru-sn-ti catalyst for chlorinated volatile organic compound degradation

Abstract

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are vital environmental concerns due to their low biodegradability and long-term persistence. Catalytic combustion technology is one of the more commonly used technologies for the treatment of CVOCs. Catalysts with high low-temperature activity, superior selectivity of non-toxic products, and resistance to chlorine poisoning are desirable. Here we adopted a plasma treatment method to synthesize a tin-doped titania loaded with ruthenium dioxide (RuO2 ) catalyst, possessing enhanced activity (T90%, the temperature at which 90% of dichloromethane (DCM) is decomposed, is 262◦ C) compared to the catalyst prepared by the conventional calcination method. As revealed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, the high surface area of the tin-doped titania catalyst and the enhanced dispersion and surface oxidation of RuO2 induced by plasma treatment were found to be the main factors determining excellent catalytic activities.