Pt-Cu dual-atom pairs-triggering intermediate activation on single-atom catalysts for enhanced photothermal catalytic VOCs oxidation in cooking oil fumes.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cooking oil fumes not only affect the quality of the atmospheric environment, but also pose a threat to human health. Herein, constructing Pt single atoms anchored on MOFs-derived Cu-MnOx hollow microspheres (Pt1/Cu-MnOx) with oxygen vacancy and Pt-Cu dual-atom sites exhibited more outstanding catalytic performances (above 90 % conversions) for photothermal catalytic ethyl acetate, hexanal and heptane degradation under simulated sunlight without external heating, compared to other noble-metal modified Cu-MnOx catalysts. The experimental and DFT results demonstrated that neighboring Pt-OV-Cu sites in Pt1/Cu-MnOx served as an electronic pump to provide electrons onto the Mn sites, promoting the VOCs adsorption-activation and the lower dissociation energy barrier of O2. Meanwhile, during the hydrolysis of ethyl acetate to ethanol and acetic acid, the key CH3CO* intermediate was stabilized on the Pt-OV-Cu pairs through a synergistic bridge structure, reducing the formation energy for key CH3CH2OH and CH3COOH species. Furthermore, the important intermediates and photothermal reaction mechanisms of VOCs degradation over Pt1/Cu-MnOx were further investigated via in situ DRIFTS. This work provides new insights for the electron interactions of multi-site catalysts and designing energy-efficient catalytic systems for photothermal VOCs removal.