Catalytic oxidation of dibromomethane over Ti-modified Co3O4 catalysts: Structure, activity and mechanism

Ti-modified Co 3 O 4 catalysts with various Co/Ti ratios were synthesized using the co-precipitation method and were used in catalytic oxidation of dibromomethane (CH 2 Br 2 ), which was selected as the model molecule for brominated volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Addition of Ti distorted the crystal structure and led to the formation of a Co-O-Ti solid solution. Co 4 Ti 1 (Co/Ti molar ratio was 4) achieved higher catalytic activity with a T 90 (the temperature needed for 90% conversion) of approximately 245   °C for CH 2 Br 2 oxidation and higher selectivity to CO 2 at a low temperature than the other investigated catalysts. In addition, Co 4 Ti 1 was stable for at least 30   h at 500   ppm CH 2 Br 2 , 0 or 2   vol% H 2 O, 0 or 500   ppm p-xylene (PX), and 10% O 2 at a gas hourly space velocity of 60,000   h −1 . The final products were CO x , Br 2 , and HBr, without the formation of other Br-containing organic byproducts. The high catalytic activity was attributed to the high Co 3+ /Co 2+ ratio and high surface acidity . Additionally, the synergistic effect of Co and Ti made it superior for CH 2 Br 2 oxidation. Furthermore, based on the analysis of products and in situ DRIFTs studies, a receivable reaction mechanism for CH 2 Br 2 oxidation over Ti-modified Co 3 O 4 catalysts was proposed.