Formaldehyde total oxidation over mesoporous MnOx catalysts

Manganese oxide mesoporous materials were prepared by using the template assisted method followed by an acidic treatment and tested in the formaldehyde oxidation. The structural, textural and redox properties of MnOx samples were deeply modified when an acidic treatment was carried out after the calcination step: (i) Mn3O4 was transformed to Mn5O8 phase, (ii) the surface specific area was increased in 75%, and (iii) the redox properties were promoted at low temperature due to the oxidation of Mn3+ into Mn4+. As a result, the catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde took place at lower temperatures. When cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant was employed during the preparation, a narrow pore sire distribution was observed after the acidic treatment, leading to a material with high HCOH capacity adsorption and catalytic performance.