Decomposition Of Volatile Organic Compounds Research Articles

Fabrication of a peptide–AuNP–TiO2 nanocomposite and its application as a VOC sensor

AbstractWe fabricated a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor with a peptide–Au nanoparticle (AuNP)–TiO2 nanocomposite in which AuNPs were linked with TiO2-coated conductive peptide nanowires. The conductive peptide nanowires were formed between the AuNPs via self-assembly through the complexation of amphiphilic peptides, LESEHEKLKSKHKSKLKEHESEL, and Co(II). Furthermore, TiO2 mineralization on the surface of the peptide nanowires yielded mixed crystals of rutile and anatase, which exhibited highly effective photolytic activity. In particular, the obtained TiO2 exhibited three times greater photodecomposition activity in the unsintered state toward organic matter than did commercially available TiO2. Next, we constructed a VOC sensor by immobilizing peptide–AuNP–TiO2 nanocomposites on a comb electrode. The electrochemical properties of the nanocomposite changed drastically under light irradiation in the presence of VOCs, indicating transport of the VOC-decomposition-generated photoexcited electrons of TiO2 to AuNPs through conductive peptide nanowires, which prevented electron–hole recombination. The obtained sensor exhibited a sensing range of 2–100 ppm for dichloromethane, which was used as a representative VOC. Therefore, nanocomposites made of AuNPs linked with conductive TiO2 nanotubes may be highly effective for TiO2-driven VOC decomposition. Moreover, we believe that this nanocomposite has high sensitivity for sensing VOCs.

Enhanced TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Volatile Organic Compound Decomposition Combined with Ultrasonic Atomization in the Co-Presence of Carbon Black and Heavy Metal Nanoparticles.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are representative indoor air pollutants that negatively affect the human body owing to their toxicity. One of the most promising methods for VOC removal is photocatalytic degradation using TiO2. In this study, the addition of carbon black (CB) and heavy metal nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated to improve the efficiency of a TiO2-based photocatalytic VOC decomposition system combined with ultrasonic atomization and ultraviolet irradiation, as described previously. The addition of CB and Ag NPs significantly improved the degradation efficiency. A comparison with other heavy metal nanoparticles and their respective roles are discussed.

Boosting visible-light response for the complete decomposition of volatile organic compounds on the Cu-oxide deposited WO3 photocatalyst by the synergistic effects of TiO2

The degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by photocatalytic systems is the most practical strategy due to its cost performance, simplicity, and environmental sustainability. To address such issues, the photocatalytic activities of tungsten trioxide (WO3) were developed by the deposition of various cocatalysts. In particular, the Cu-oxide (CuO/Cu2O)-deposited WO3 (Cu-WO3) photocatalyst could efficiently decompose acetic acid and acetaldehyde into CO2 under visible-light irradiation, although it exhibited low activity for the decomposition of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX). Furthermore, a composite Cu-WO3/TiO2 photocatalytic system, which was fabricated by the simple physical mixing of Cu-WO3 with TiO2, was found to exhibit unprecedented reactivity for the complete decomposition of persistent BTX pollutants into CO2 under visible light irradiation. The synergistic effects of Cu-WO3 and the interfacial surface complex (ISC) formed by toluene-adsorbed TiO2 contribute to the efficient visible light response by excitation up to around 600 nm. The reaction mechanism for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity by the Cu-WO3/TiO2 composite photocatalyst is examined in this study.

Fundamental insights and recent advances in catalytic oxidation processes using ozone for the control of volatile organic compounds.

The development of technologies for highly efficient treatment of emissions containing low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains an important challenge. Catalytic oxidation with ozone (catalytic ozonation) is useful for the oxidative decomposition of VOCs, particularly aromatic compounds, under ambient temperature conditions. Only inexpensive transition metal oxides are required as catalysts, and Mn-based catalysts are widely used for catalytic ozonation. This review describes the oxidation reaction mechanisms, reaction pathways of aromatic hydrocarbons, and dependence of the catalytic ozonation activity on the reaction conditions. The reasons why Mn oxides are effective in catalytic ozonation are also explained. The structure of the catalytic active sites and the types of supporting materials contributing to the reaction are also discussed in detail, with the aim of establishing a VOC control technology. In addition, recent progress in catalytic oxidation processes using ozone as an oxidant has been outlined, focusing on catalyst materials and reaction conditions.

Three-dimensional Ni foam supported Pt/NiFe LDH catalyst with enhanced oxygen activation for room-temperature formaldehyde oxidation

Room-temperature catalytic oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO) has been extensively investigated due to its high efficiency, convenience, and environmental friendliness. Herein, nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) nanosheets were synthesized in-situ on a nickel foil (NF) using a facile one-step hydrothermal method, followed by the deposition of ultra-low content (0.069 wt%) of Pt nanoparticles through NaBH4 reduction. The resulting three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical Pt/NiFe-NF catalyst exhibited exceptional activity for the complete decomposition of formaldehyde to carbon dioxide (CO2) at room temperature (∼95 % conversion within 1 h), as well as remarkable cycling stability. The 3D porous structure of Pt/NiFe-NF provides fast transport channels for the diffusion of gas molecules, making the active catalyst surfaces more accessible. Moreover, abundant hydroxyl groups in NiFe LDH serve as adsorption centers for HCHO molecules to form dioxymethylene (DOM) and formate intermediates. Furthermore, electronic interactions between NiFe LDH and Pt enhance the adsorption and activation of O2 on Pt surfaces, leading to the complete decomposition of intermediates into non-toxic products. This work presents new insights into the design and preparation of Pt-based 3D hierarchical catalysts with surface-rich hydroxyl groups for the efficient removal of indoor HCHO.

The effect of ancillary ligands on hydrocarbon C-H bond functionalization by uranyl photocatalysts.

The aqueous uranyl dication has long been known to facilitate the UV light-induced decomposition of aqueous VOCs (volatile organic compounds), via the long-lived highly efficient, uranyl excited state. The lower-energy visible light excited uranyl ion is also able to cleave unactivated hydrocarbon C-H bonds, yet the development of this reactivity into controlled and catalytic C-H bond functionalization is still in its infancy, with almost all studies still focused on uranyl nitrate as the precatalyst. Here, hydrocarbon-soluble uranyl nitrate and chloride complexes supported by substituted phenanthroline (Ph2phen) ligands are compared to each other, and to the parent salts, as photocatalysts for the functionalization of cyclooctane by H atom abstraction. Analysis of the absorption and emission spectra, and emission lifetimes of Ph2phen-coordinated uranyl complexes demonstrate the utility of the ligand in light absorption in the photocatalysis, which is related to the energy and kinetic decay profile of the uranyl photoexcited state. Density functional theory computational analysis of the C-H activation steps in the reaction show how a set of dispersion forces between the hydrocarbon substrate and the Ph2phen ligand provide control over the H atom abstraction, and provide predictions of selectivity of H atom abstraction by the uranyl oxo of the ring C-H over the ethyl C-H in an ethylcyclohexane substrate.

Detailed mechanism study of volatile organic compound decomposition and oxidation removal based on a ReaxFF MD method.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are typical air pollutants as well as gaseous wastes that contain energy. Utilization and disposition of VOCs is currently an important research hotspot in the field of atmospheric environment. In this paper, the thermal cracking and oxidation reaction processes of typical VOCs components were modelled and analyzed by combining molecular dynamics and detailed reaction mechanisms, focusing on the effects of temperature, oxygen and other conditions on the conversion of VOCs. The results of molecular dynamics studies show that improving temperature and reaction time benefit the decomposition of VOCs. High temperatures under an inert atmosphere can sufficiently crack the VOCs themselves, but other by-products are generated, which in turn cause secondary pollution. The activation energies derived by ReaxFF-MD calculation are 328 kJ mol-1, 147 kJ mol-1 and 121 kJ mol-1 for toluene, styrene and benzaldehyde respectively, which is consistent with experimental results. Under the oxygen atmosphere, the conversion rate of VOCs is greatly increased and the reaction temperature is significantly reduced. Meanwhile, the oxidation reaction fully converts VOCs into non-polluting products such as CO2 and H2O. Detailed kinetic studies show that initial oxidation of toluene molecules raised by hydrogen abstraction reaction is the dominant step during toluene oxidation, which significantly improved the decomposition efficiency of toluene.

Modification of Fe on hydrophobic ZSM-5 zeolite: Optimization of adsorption and catalytic performance for decomposition of VOCs at low-temperature

The conjugation of high adsorption and excellent catalytic characteristics is desirable for the removal of volatile-organic-compounds (VOCs) at low-temperatures. In this study, ZSM-5 zeolites with varying Si/Al ratios (15, 30, 100, and 200) were synthesized using the hydrothermal-method to assess their adsorption capability for VOCs. Among them, the ZSM-5(30) sample exhibited a well-defined zeolite structure, exceptional hydrophobicity, a high surface area (SBET), and micropores, resulting in a higher toluene adsorption capacity of 135 mg/g compared to other adsorbents. Additionally, the ZSM-5(30) sample demonstrated excellent regenerative stability in both dry and humid environments. Consequently, ZSM-5(30), identified as the most effective adsorbent, was subjected to loading with various amounts of Fe metal for the catalytic-oxidation of toluene at low-temperatures. Due to its abundant oxygen-vacancies, adequate acid-sites, and various active oxygen-species, the Fe0.2/ZSM-5(30) catalyst (Fe/(Si + Al) = 0.2) not only exhibited a high adsorption capacity for toluene with good stability over five successive cycles but also demonstrated excellent performance in the catalytic oxidation of toluene. The complete conversion of toluene was attained at temperatures approximately 200 °C, with a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 20,000 mL/(g∙h), and maintained stability for 40 h. Furthermore, in-situ diffuse-reflectance infrared-Fourier-transform-spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) results, along with the Mars-Van-Krevelen model, were utilized to elucidate the adsorption and oxidation mechanism of toluene. The unique adsorption and oxidation capabilities of Fe0.2/ZSM-5(30) for toluene indicate its promising potential for the removal of VOCs in real industrial-environments. This study provides valuable insights for the design of high-performance bifunctional materials for the adsorption and catalytic-oxidation of VOCs.

An SDBD plasma-based source for efficient degradation of VOCs in an enclosed environment

In this work, a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma-based source powered by a bipolar pulsed power supply is reported. This source has been tested for the decomposition of toluene and benzene in an enclosed environment of size 12 ft3. Study has been performed to compare decomposition of toluene and benzene on various combinations of the applied voltages and frequencies. For about 60 min of continuous operation of the SDBD source, a decomposition efficiency of 99.7% (toluene) and 74.8% (benzene) has been achieved. For the effective generation of reactive species, the ground electrode of the SDBD source is coated with TiO2 nanoparticles. Optical emission spectroscopy diagnostic has also been used to estimate the electron temperature, which is found to be in the range of 3–6 eV. Consequently, the high energetic electrons produced via the SDBD source are the primary reason to activate the catalyst instead of ultra-violet (UV) light. The results further showed that the developed SDBD source produces powerful, immediate discharge and energetic electrons, which could be efficiently used for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) degradation. The need for feed gas, pellets and/or differential pressure has been eliminated by the developed SDBD source from the known conventional methods for VOCs decomposition.

Insights into effects of grain boundary engineering in composite metal oxide catalysts for improving catalytic performance

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have long been a threat to human health. However, designing economical and efficient transition metal composite oxide catalysts for VOCs purification remains a challenge. Herein, this study demonstrates the enormous potential of grain boundary engineering in facilitating VOCs decomposition over ordered mesoporous composite oxide denoted as 3D-MnxCoy (x, y = 1, 3, 5, 7, 9). Specifically, the three-dimensional (3D) Mn7Co1 catalyst shows 100% ethyl acetate removal efficiency for a continuous airflow containing 1000 ppm ethyl acetate over 60000 h−1 space velocity at 160 °C. Mechanism study suggests that the high catalytic performance originates from the lattice distortion caused by the introduction of heteroatoms, along with the size effect of nanopore walls, which leads to the formation of various grain boundaries on the catalyst surface. The presence of grain boundaries facilitates the generation of oxygen vacancies, thus promoting the migration and activation of oxygen species. Furthermore, the near-atmospheric pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP- XPS) monitoring results reveal that the bimetallic synergy enhanced by grain boundary accelerates the catalytic reaction rate of VOCs through Mn3++Co3+↔Mn4++Co2+ redox cycle. This study may shed light on the great potential of ordered mesoporous bimetallic oxide catalysts in VOCs pollution control.

Bimetallic Fe-Mn loaded H-ZSM-5 zeolites for excellent VOCs catalytic oxidation at low-temperatures: Synergistic effects and catalytic mechanisms

The development of catalysts with high adsorption and low-temperature catalytic characteristics for the decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is of great importance for air purification. Herein, H-ZSM-5 (proton form Zeolite Socony Mobil-5) zeolite -supported Fe-Mn elements were synthesized via a two-step procedure (hydrothermal and precipitation methods). These zeolite-supported bimetal Fe-Mn catalysts exhibited a mesoporous structure, uniform distribution of Fe-Mn elements, excellent catalytic-oxidation capacity for toluene at low-temperatures, and high stability. Due to interactive synergies between the bimetallic Fe and Mn, the Fe2-Mn1/H-ZSM-5 (ratio of Fe and Mn was 2:1 with a total amount of 15 % to H-ZSM-5) exhibited 100 % toluene-conversion at 200 °C and T90 = 195 °C (temperature of toluene-conversion at 90 %) with GHSV = 20,000 mL/(g∙h). Its distinguishing catalytic-oxidation abilities at low temperatures were due to abundant oxygen-vacancies, adequate acidic-sites and various active oxygen-species, which improved the adsorption of toluene and expedited its degradation. The Fe2-Mn1/H-ZSM-5 catalyst also demonstrated a good resistance to humidity and renewable catalytic properties over five cyclic tests. The in-situ DRIFTS and LC-MS results revealed that toluene was decomposed to benzyl-alcohol, benzaldehyde, benzoate-acid, formates or/and acetate step by step, and finally CO2 and H2O. The mechanism of toluene oxidation over Fe2-Mn1/H-ZSM-5 catalysts was proposed and elucidated via the Mars–van-Krevelen (MVK) model. This study comprehensively explored the adsorption and decomposition kinetics of VOCs over bimetal decorated H-ZSM-5, which was useful toward the design of highly efficient catalysts for the removal of VOCs.

고도산화기술을 적용한 실내공간 휘발성유기화합물 분해 연구

고도산화기술을 적용한 실내공간 휘발성유기화합물 분해 연구

A review of prospects and challenges of photocatalytic decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under humid environment

AbstractVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are harmful for humans and the surrounding ecosystem. Emissions from these pollutants have caused a significant reduction in air quality, which has an effect on people's health. Alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aromatics, and other VOC pollutants have all been broken down by TiO2 photocatalytic processes. Due to several operating inefficiencies and deactivation issues in humid environments, the practical application of photocatalysis has not been realized on a broader scale. The effectiveness of photo‐oxidation of VOCs is impacted by a variety of environmental conditions. In the photocatalytic oxidation of the VOCs, relative humidity (RH) is critical. Therefore, it is important to review the recent findings on how humidity affects the photocatalytic breakdown of VOCs in air. To satisfy this need, this work provides a critical review of the related literature with focus on the fundamentals of photocatalysis, photocatalytic degradation of air pollutants, and the influence of humidity on the photocatalytic process degradation for selected air pollutants. It also highlights the kinetic models and typical photocatalytic reactor and supports for VOC removal.

Synthesis of Hydroxyapatites via Wet Mechanochemical Process for Enhanced Catalytic Decomposition of Volatile Organic Compounds

Synthesis of Hydroxyapatites via Wet Mechanochemical Process for Enhanced Catalytic Decomposition of Volatile Organic Compounds

Boosting Ozone Catalytic Oxidation of Toluene at Room Temperature by Using Hydroxyl-Mediated MnOx/Al2O3 Catalysts

Ozone catalytic oxidation (OZCO) has gained great interest in environmental remediation while it still faces a big challenge during the deep degradation of refractory volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Hydroxylation of the catalytic surface provides a new strategy for regulating the catalytic activity to boost VOC degradation. Herein, OZCO of toluene at room temperature over hydroxyl-mediated MnOx/Al2O3 catalysts was originally demonstrated. Specifically, a novel hydroxyl-mediated MnOx/Al2O3 catalyst was developed via the in situ AlOOH reconstruction method and used for toluene OZCO. The toluene degradation performance of MnOx/Al2O3 was significantly superior to those of most of the state-of-the-art catalysts, and 100% toluene was removed with an excellent mineralization rate (82.3%) and catalytic stability during OZCO. ESR and in situ DRIFTs results demonstrated that surface hydroxyl groups (HGs) greatly improved the reactive oxygen species generation, thus dramatically accelerating the benzene ring breakage and deep mineralization. Furthermore, HGs provided anchoring sites for uniformly dispersing MnOx and greatly enhanced toluene adsorption and ozone activation. This work paves a way for deep decomposition of aromatic VOCs at room temperature.

Experimental Proof of a Transformation Product Trap Effect with a Membrane Photocatalytic Process for VOC Removal.

The decomposition of volatile organic compounds by photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) has been widely studied. However, the technological development of this oxidative technique has to address how to handle the formation of transformation products. The work presented here investigates the original combination of a dense membrane separation process and PCO to intensify the trapping and reduction of PCO transformation products. Specific monitoring of toluene PCO transformation products, such as benzene and formaldehyde, in the outflow of both permeate and retentate compartments was proposed. The influence of operating parameters on the process, i.e., light intensity, pressure, membrane type, and catalyst mass, was also studied. The results reveal that membrane separation-PCO hybridization is particularly effective for reducing the presence of benzene and formaldehyde in the effluent treated. The benzene concentration in the outflow of the hybrid module can be reduced by a factor of 120 compared to that observed during the PCO of toluene alone.

Bi2WO6‐based Z-scheme photocatalysts: Principles, mechanisms and photocatalytic applications

The development of novel photocatalysts for efficient utilization of solar energy is highly essential for the most critical humanitarian challenges, i.e., energy and water crises as well as environmental pollution. Bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6), an outstanding Aurivillius phase perovskite, has attracted intensive attention as a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst because of its non-toxicity, low cost, and outstanding physicochemical characteristics, i.e., nonlinear dielectric susceptibility, ferroelectric piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, catalytic behavior, modifiable morphology, strong oxidation power, and good photochemical stability. However, the photocatalytic activity of bare Bi2WO6 is restricted because of the inherent drawbacks such as poor light-harvesting efficiency, weak reduction potential, relatively low specific surface area, the fast recombination rate of photoinduced charge carriers, and thus poor quantum yields of photocatalytic reactions. Moreover, the impossibility of simultaneous strong redox ability (demanding wide bandgap) and high light-harvesting efficiency (requiring narrow bandgap) is considered as a big challenge for the practical application of Bi2WO6. Undeniably, the construction of Z-scheme photocatalytic systems is recommended strategy to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages because of the efficient spatial separation of photogenerated charge carriers and the boosting the redox performance. This review summarizes the principles and recent developments on Z-scheme photocatalytic systems with special emphasis on the Bi2WO6-based photocatalysts, including the types, photocatalytic mechanisms and practical applications. Moreover, major differences between type-II heterojunction and Z-scheme photocatalyst have also been discussed. Additionally, the significant role of unique structures (e.g., core-shell and 2D/2D) for the improvement of photocatalytic activity of Z-scheme photocatalyst has been presented. Indeed, Bi2WO6-based Z-scheme photocatalysts have exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for various applications. For example, they show high photocatalytic activity towards water/wastewater treatment (removal of organic and inorganic pollutants, as well as microorganisms), air purification (decomposition of volatile organic compounds and inorganic matters), “green” energy conversion (e.g., generation of H2 and CH4 fuels under solar irradiation), and organic synthesis. It is thought that this remarkable activity of Bi2WO6-based Z-scheme photocatalysts might be attributed to the efficient solar light harvesting, separation and further transfer of charge carriers and strong redox ability. To the best of our knowledge, the present paper is the first attempt to summarize the Bi2WO6-based Z-scheme photocatalytic reactions, providing important insights and up-to-date information for the scientific community to fully explore the potential of Bi2WO6-based photocatalysts for renewable environmental remediation, energy conversion, and chemical synthesis.

Dual confinement strategy based on metal-organic frameworks to synthesize MnOx@ZrO2 catalysts for toluene catalytic oxidation

Active sites confinement is a promising way to enhance the activities of catalysts for volatile organic compounds decomposition (VOCs). However, the rational control of the active sites over composite catalysts raised challenges due to inevitably active sites’ aggregation into larger bulk particles during the pyrolysis. Here, we propose a dual-confinement strategy using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to fabricate well-dispersed MnOx@ZrO2 composite catalysts. These products have a distorted three-dimensional (3D) octahedral morphology with both Mn and Zr elements uniformly dispersed. Moreover, the agglomeration of Mn can be reduced through dual confinement. The crystal size of MnOx@ZrO2-NA is 17.65 nm, smaller than 1.17 μm of MnOx-ZrO2-cp and 125.73 nm of MnOx@ZrO2-A. Such MnOx@ZrO2-NA product exhibits a better catalytic ability of T50 = 248 °C than those of MnOx-ZrO2-cp (T50 = 295 °C) and MnOx@ZrO2-A (T50 = 280 °C). The increased Mn (III/Total) ratio, sufficient amount of adsorbed oxygen and good oxygen mobility from c-ZrO2 support play significant roles in the reaction mechanism. Further, a variety of MOx@ZrO2 (M = Co/Cu/Ce) composites with a similar nanostructure has been demonstrated. Therefore, this work can realize the high dispersion of active sites via the dual confinement, and provide a convenient route to synthesize potential catalysts for other pollutants control.

Review of component designs for post-COVID-19 HVAC systems: possibilities and challenges

The globally occurring recurrent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily caused by the transmission of aerosolized droplets from an infected person to a healthy person in the indoor environment, has led to the urgency of designing new modes of indoor ventilation. To prevent cross-contaminations due to airborne viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants in indoor environments, heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems need to be redesigned with anti-pandemic components. The three vital anti-pandemic components for the post-COVID-19 HVAC systems, as identified by the authors, are: a biological contaminant inactivation unit, a volatile organic compound decomposition unit, and an advanced air filtration unit. The purpose of the current article is to provide an overview of the latest research outcomes toward designing these anti-pandemic components and pointing out the future promises and challenges. In addition, the role of personalized ventilation in minimizing the risk of indoor cross-contamination by employing various air terminal devices is discussed. The authors believe that this article will encourage HVAC designers to develop effective anti-pandemic components to minimize the indoor airborne transmission.

Photocatalytic destruction of volatile aromatic compounds by platinized titanium dioxide in relation to the relative effect of the number of methyl groups on the benzene ring

The photocatalytic destruction (PCD) of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into environmentally benign compounds is one of the most ideal routes for the management of indoor air quality. It is nevertheless not easy to achieve the mineralization of aromatic VOC through PCD technology because of their recalcitrant structures (i.e., conjugated π benzene ring). In this research, the PCD potential against three model aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., benzene (B), toluene (T), and m-xylene (X): namely, BTX) has been explored using a titanium dioxide (TiO2) supported platinum (Pt) catalyst after the high-temperature hydrogen (H2)-based reduction (R) pre-treatment (i.e., Pt/TiO2-R). The effects of the key process variables (e.g., relative humidity (RH), oxygen (O2) content, flow rate, VOC concentration, and the co-presence of VOC) on the PCD efficiency and related mechanisms were also assessed in detail. The PCD efficiency is seen to increase with the rise in the increasing number of methyl groups on the benzene ring (in the order of benzene (46.5%), toluene (68.2%), and m-xylene (95.9%)), as the adsorption and activation of the VOC molecule on the photocatalyst surface are promoted by the increased distribution of electrons on the benzene ring. The BTX were oxidated subsequently by the photogenerated reactive oxygen species (ROS), i.e., the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide anion radicals (•O2−). The overall results of this study are expected to help expand the applicability of photocatalysis towards air quality management by offering detailed insights into the factors and processes governing the photocatalytic decomposition of aromatic VOCs.