Adjusting Ag0 on oxygen-deficient Ag/MnO2 through electronic metal-support interaction to enhance mineralization of toluene in post-plasma catalytic system

While nonthermal plasma (NTP) technology exhibits notable efficacy in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), its practical application is impeded by a restricted carbon dioxide (CO2) selectivity. In this work, Ag-loaded α-MnO2 nanorods with strong electronic metal-support interaction (EMSI) were synthesized to enhance the mineralization of toluene in post-plasma system (PPC). EMSI was constructed between Ag species and MnO2 by anchoring Ag on hydroxyl groups. Increasing Ag loading facilitated the generation of oxygen vacancies, which promoted electron transfer from MnO2 to Ag sites, reinforcing EMSI and favoring the formation of Ag0. The results showed that the 3% Ag-loaded α-MnO2 nanorods exhibited better activity than bare MnO2, with a remarkable boost in CO2 selectivity to 77.5%, far exceeding the 33% CO2 selectivity of MnO2. It was concluded that both oxygen vacancies and Ag0 affected the toluene conversion by enhancing the conversion of ozone (O3) to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Through in-situ DRIFTS, it was found that Ag0 transformed O3 to a higher concentration of atomic oxygen (O*), capable of degrading organic intermediates to CO2. Additionally, Ag0 facilitated the direct ring-opening of adsorbed toluene. This research introduces a novel method for designing catalysts with EMSI to improve the mineralization of VOCs.