Hierarchically Macro-Mesoporous Pt/γ-Al2O3 Composite Microspheres for Efficient Formaldehyde Oxidation at Room Temperature

Room temperature catalytic oxidation by noble metals is considered to be the most promising strategy for the removal of HCHO, which is one of the major indoor air pollutants. Hierarchically macro-mesoporous structured Pt/γ-Al2O3 hollow spheres with open and accessible pores were synthesized and used for catalytic oxidative decomposition of HCHO at room temperature. The prepared composite hollow spheres showed higher catalytic activity than the conventional nanoparticle supports, which is mainly due to their hierarchical macro-mesoporous structure facilitating diffusion of reactants and products and the high dispersion of accessible catalytic Pt nanoparticles. This work may contribute to the development of hierarchically structured materials and high-performance catalysts for indoor air purification and related catalytic processes.