Zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxide and double oxide for room-temperature oxidation of sulfur dioxide gas

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) gas at trace levels challenges the consumption of fuel gases and cleaning of flue gases originating from diverse anthropogenic sources. We have demonstrated Zn-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) and layered double oxide (LDO) as low-cost and effective adsorbents in removing lowly concentrated SO₂ gas at room temperature. Water in the adsorbent bed significantly improved the performance, where the maximum adsorption capacity of 38.0 mg g^-1 was achieved for LDO. Based on the spectroscopic findings, the adsorbed gas molecules were oxidized to surface-bound sulfate/bisulfate species, showing complete mineralization of SO₂ molecules. By employing an inexpensive NaOH-H₂O₂ solution-based regeneration strategy, we successfully regenerated the spent LDO, significantly restoring its gas uptake capacity. The regenerated oxide exhibited an increased gas uptake capacity ranging from 38.0 to 98.5 mg g^-1, highlighting the practicality and economic feasibility of our approach. LDH/LDO materials are promising regenerable adsorbents for removing low concentrations of SO₂ gas in ambient conditions.