A new strategy for designing highly efficient Co3O4 catalyst with the molecular space configurations for toluene catalytic combustion

Abstract

Selective exposure of dominant molecular space configurations and controllable synthesis of nanocomposites microstructure are full of challenge in improving the catalyst activity and designing materials. Herein, we precisely designed the size of ZIFs growing on nanofibers by changing the distribution of surface N elements. N elements microenvironment of nanofibers surface influenced not only ZIFs’ growth mechanism, but also its derivatives’ molecular space configurations (octahedral and tetrahedral structure of Co3O4). To verify the influence of N element on space configurations, DFT were used to investigate structure preference energy (SPE). The result showed that the TEA (triethylamine)-induced method showed a big difference between octahedral and tetrahedral structure, indicating that this method was easier to generate octahedral complexes. Its derived Co3O4 catalysts with more Co3+ spieces showed the best catalytic performance (T90 only 220 °C). Based on this, exposure of molecular space configurations will no longer be random but manipulable. The establishment of this new strategy will play an important role in the future catalyst design and realize the adjustable and controllable catalyst.