Modifying defect States in CeO2 by Fe doping: A strategy for low-temperature catalytic oxidation of toluene with sunlight

Highly efficient, low cost and green ways to eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are quite desirable due to the ever-increasing environmental issues. Photothermal catalytic oxidation provides a pathway for solving these problems, but its application is always limited by lack of low-cost and active catalysts. Herein, this limitation is overcome by using doping to refine defect states. As a proof of concept, hierarchical CeO2 nanorods are employed as a model material for subtle Fe doping. The results reveal that the oxygen defects facilitate activation of the O=O bond and the migration and separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. By virtue of such favorable synergistic effect, a satisfactory toluene conversion (> 98 %) was obtained. This work provides new insights into the design of highly effective catalysts and the construction of an economically viable process for VOC elimination.