Bimetallic synergistic effect of Co and Fe for the highly efficient catalytic decomposition of ozone

Ground-level ozone pollution is a major concern for human health, ecosystems, and material degradation. This article presents a Co- and Fe-based bimetallic layered double hydroxide (CoFe-LDH) catalyst for ozone decomposition. The CoFe-LDH catalyst exhibited 100% ozone decomposition efficiency over 24 h at a reaction rate of 35.3 mu mol g(-1) min(-1). The synergetic effects between Co and Fe regulated the valence state, increased the number of Co vacancies, and increased the specific surface area and density of the hydroxyl groups on the surface. Moreover, the two metals facilitated different dissociation steps and the desorption step became exothermic after ozone enrichment on the surface, rendering every step concurrently spontaneous, which has not been observed in previously reported ozone decomposition catalysts. This study demonstrates the potential of LDHs for ozone pollution control and offers new insights into the design of synergistic bimetallic catalysts.