Triboelectric Plasma-Catalytic CO Oxidation of MnO2 Nanostructures Driven by Mechanical Energy at Room Temperature

The simultaneous activation of surface lattice oxygen and dioxygen is key to transition metal oxide-based catalytic CO oxidation systems. However, the reaction is difficult at room temperature owing to the high metal-oxygen bond energy. This study presents a triboelectric plasma-transition metal oxide catalytic system driven by a triboelectric nanogenerator, which realizes CO oxidation reaction at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Among the transition metal oxides evaluated, MnO2 nanostructures exhibited an optimal CO oxidation activity of 0.24 mmol.g(-1).h(-1) and a low energy consumption converted per mole CO of 6.0 x 10(3) kJ. For the activation of both surface lattice oxygen and dioxygen, multiple reaction pathways with barriers ranging from 0.37 to 2.43 eV have been revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and density functional theory simulation. These catalytic reaction phenomena have been explained by an extended Mars-van Krevelen mechanism, in which multiple pathways with various barriers were overcome by the electrons in the plasma with a uniform and broad distribution probability. This work provides an efficient strategy for the conversion and utilization of mechanical energy for chemical synthesis.