Light-induced in-situ transformation from MOF to construct heterostructured Co3O4/Co catalyst for efficient photothermal catalytic oxidation

The construction of hybrid nanocatalysts with enhanced active surfaces/interfaces is crucial for the catalytic oxidative removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, we report an in-situ conversion approach to synthesize a heterostructured Co3O4/Co catalyst (Co@NC-0.5) for efficient photothermal catalytic oxidation of acetone. The catalysts were prepared by pyrolyzing a mixture of ZIF-67 and melamine. The exposed cobalt species underwent in-situ oxidation to form a Co3O4/Co heterostructure under photothermal conditions. This unique catalyst structure exhibited over 90 % conversion within 16 min under full solar spectrum irradiation and excellent reusability with continuous maintenance of 100 % acetone conversion rate after nine cycles performance tests. Notably, its specific mass activity under thermocatalytic conditions was 2.13 times higher than that of Co3O4. Our work provides a facile and effective strategy for developing highly active and durable non-precious metal catalysts suitable for various photothermal catalytic reactions.