Enhanced SF₆ Degradation via Charge Regulation Strategies on Zirconium-Based Catalysts

The inexorable rise in atmospheric concentrations of sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), which has a global warming potential (GWP) approximately 24,300 times that of CO₂, necessitates the urgent development of efficient catalytic emission reduction strategies. In this study, we selected three anionic ligands to modulate the charge state of zirconium (Zr), thereby anchoring ZrC, ZrN, and ZrO₂ domains on a conductive SiC carrier. Among the prepared composites, ZrC-SiC exhibits the highest degradation capacity of 986.5 mL g^-1 at 500°C, whereas the ZrN- and ZrO₂-based analogues exhibit significantly lower activities. X-ray diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the formation of intimate ZrC/SiC interfaces, and density-functional-theory calculations attribute the superior performance to strong electronic interactions that facilitate both SF₆ adsorption and subsequent S-F bond cleavage. This charge-regulation strategy highlights the critical role of electronic metal-support interactions in governing catalytic performance and offers a scalable route toward eliminating potent fluorinated greenhouse gases.