Poly(ionic liquid)s-assisted synthesis of Co single-atoms anchored on N-doped carbon nanofibers for formaldehyde removal via room temperature thermocatalysis

Developing cost-effective transition metal (TM) catalysts for removing formaldehyde (HCHO) via room temperature thermocatalytic oxidation is gaining attention for its potential benefits in energy savings and health protection. In this work, we synthesized a nitrogen-doped carbon fiber catalyst with atomically dispersed cobalt (p-Co 1 @NCF) using a novel poly(ionic liquid)s-assisted (PILs-assisted) method. Structural analysis confirmed that PILs play a key role in forming stable Co N 4 sites, achieving a cobalt loading of 2.5 wt%. The p-Co 1 @NCF catalyst demonstrated outstanding performance, achieving 95 % HCHO removal at 100 ppm and RT, with a specific activity of 0.60 mol HCHO ·mol Co −1 ·h −1 and stable decomposition over 96 h. Mechanistic studies indicated that the catalyst's efficiency stems from its ability to adsorb and activate oxygen (O 2 ) molecules. This work highlights the potential of PILs-assisted synthesis in creating effective single-atom TM catalysts and represents an important advance in RT thermocatalytic HCHO removal.