Low-Temperature Propane Activation and Mineralization over a Co₃O₄ Sub-nanometer Porous Sheet: Atomic-Level Insights

Light alkanes make up a class of widespread volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bringing great environmental hazards and health concerns. However, the low-temperature catalytic destruction of light alkanes is still a great challenge to settle due to their high reaction inertness and weak polarity. Herein, a Co₃O₄ sub-nanometer porous sheet (Co₃O₄-SPS) was fabricated and comprehensively compared with its bulk counterparts in the catalytic oxidation of C₃H₈. Results demonstrated that abundant low-coordinated Co atoms on the Co₃O₄-SPS surface boost the activation of adsorbed oxygen and enhance the catalytic activity. Moreover, Co₃O₄-SPS has better surface metal properties, which is beneficial to electron transfer between the catalyst surface and the reactant molecules, promoting the interaction between C₃H₈ molecules and dissociated O atoms and facilitating the activation of C-H bonds. Due to these, Co₃O₄-SPS harvests a prominent performance for C₃H₈ destruction, 100% of which decomposed at 165 °C (apparent activation energy of 49.4 kJ mol^-1), much better than the bulk Co₃O₄ (450 °C and 126.9 kJ mol^-1) and typical noble metal catalysts. Moreover, Co₃O₄-SPS also has excellent thermal stability and water resistance. This study deepens the atomic-level insights into the catalytic capacity of Co₃O₄-SPS in light alkane purification and provides references for designing efficacious catalysts for thermocatalytic oxidation reactions.