Atomic engineering of electronic metal-support interaction via Si–O–Co bonding for sustainable catalytic ozone purification

Catalytic ozone decomposition offers a promising approach for controlling ground-level ozone (O 3 ), but conventional Co-based catalysts suffer from poor performance due to nanoparticle agglomeration and limited electronic tunability. This study addresses these limitations by leveraging electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) to engineer a Co-based catalyst (Cox@SBA-UC) anchored via Si–O–Co bonding on a mesoporous SBA-UC carrier. We demonstrate that the Si–O–Co EMSI structure enhances Co dispersion, stabilizes low-valence Co 2+ species, and optimizes electronic properties by upshifting the d -band center. The optimized Co2@SBA-UC catalyst achieves exceptional O 3 decomposition efficiency (92% conversion), outperforming control catalysts and exhibiting robust humidity resistance. Mechanistic insights reveal strengthened O 3 adsorption and facilitated decomposition into surface oxygen intermediates (*O and *O 2 ), while reversible deactivation caused by *O 2 accumulation is efficiently mitigated through thermal regeneration under an inert atmosphere. This work provides a sustainable strategy for catalytic ozone decomposition by simultaneously maximizing active site density and intrinsic activity, advancing environmental remediation technologies for clean air applications.