Graphene oxide/Fe2O3 nanoplates supported Pt for enhanced room-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO)/Fe 2 O 3 nanoplates supported Pt catalyst (Pt/GOFe) for room-temperature oxidation of formaldehyde (HCHO) was obtained via hydrothermal synthesis of Fe 2 O 3 nanoplates, impregnation of GO and Pt precursor and NaBH 4 reduction processes. Compared with TiO 2 supported Pt (Pt/TiO 2 ), Fe 2 O 3 nanoplates supported Pt (Pt/Fe) and GO/commercial Fe 2 O 3 supported Pt (Pt/GOFe-c), Pt/GOFe exhibited much higher catalytic activity toward room-temperature HCHO oxidation. The superior catalytic performance of Pt/GOFe is attributed to the unique morphology of Fe 2 O 3 nanoplates, abundance of oxygen functionalities and the mobility of π π bonds of GO, as well as plenty of active oxygen species resulted from the interaction between Pt and GO/Fe 2 O 3 . The in-situ DRIFTS results revealed that the surface hydroxyls played an important role in HCHO oxidation reaction, and formate/DOM species were the main intermediates. The excellent catalytic performance and recyclability make Pt/GOFe an efficient catalyst for HCHO oxidation at room temperature, which sheds a new light on rational design and fabrication of advanced catalyst for indoor air purification.