Removal of formaldehyde by triboelectric charges enhanced MnO -PI at room temperature

Indoor formaldehyde (HCHO) pollution has become a serious issue to threaten human health. Therefore, it is urgent to develop long-term and efficient HCHO removal materials and technology with low energy consumption. In this study, the MnOx was deposited in-situ by hydrothermal synthesis on the hydrolyzed PI fibers. By harvesting the kinetic energy of wind, triboelectric charges and electric field are generated between MnOx-PI and nylon fibers. The employment of triboelectric charges on the catalyst is an effective way to increase conversion rates of O*, which may help to accelerate the decomposition of intermediates, enhance efficiency, and enlarge the life of the catalyst. As a result, during the static testing, the HCHO removal efficiency reached 92.4% of MnOx-PI-1.0 h-nylon within 1100 mins at room temperature, which was much higher than that of the MnOx-PI-1.0 h sample (56.3%). In addition, the removal efficiency of the MnOx-PI-2.0 h-nylon remained above 95% during the 48-hours dynamic test. The present study provides a new route to achieve long-term efficient removal of HCHO in the indoor environment and extended the application for the nano-triboelectric in the catalytic field.