Catalytic combustion of toluene on La1−yCeyFeO3 perovskites catalysts

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes are toxic and contribute significantly to the formation of the photochemical smog, which has remarkable impact to the air quality. Therefore, the research on the removal of VOCs has attracted increasing interests during the last decade. In this paper, catalytic combustion of toluene over LaFeO3 and substituted La1−yCeyFeO3 (y=0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2). The perovskites catalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel combustion method and were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy. The mean particle size of the perovskites and the specific surface area increased with an increase in cerium loading. Characterization data confirmed CeO2 segregation occurred to at y ≥ 0.15. The catalytic activity of the perovskite catalysts for total combustion of toluene increased with Ce substitution, and the activities increased with an increase in Ce doping (y ≤ 0.15) for all range of temperature.

Keywords:

Volatile organic compounds , perovskites , catalytic combustion , toluene