Cu(I)/Cu(II) dual-site mediated efficient synergistic catalysis of ozone and ethyl acetate

In chip manufacturing facilities, high concentrations of ethyl acetate (EA) coexist with low concentrations of ozone (O₃), and achieving their simultaneous removal remains challenging. In this study, defect-engineered Cu-BTC MOF was employed for the room-temperature removal of EA and O₃ via synergistic catalysis. The CB-50 sample, synthesized with 50 μL acetic acid, achieved 80 % EA removal efficiency and 77 % O₃ removal efficiency, markedly higher than pristine Cu-BTC (60 % and 72 %). Meanwhile, EA mineralization reached 90.3 %, which is 1.3 times that of pristine Cu-BTC (69.6 %). XPS and in-situ DRIFTS analyses revealed that Cu(I) sites served as active sites for O₃ activation to yield •OH and O₂^2- species, whereas Cu(II)-OH groups acted as the adsorption sites for EA, facilitating its transformation into carboxylic intermediates. Using the same approach, defects were introduced into a series of representative MOFs, confirming the feasibility of regulating the content of low-valent metal sites via defect engineering. This dual-site mechanism facilitates the synergistic catalysis of EA and O₃. It demonstrates a promising strategy with potential for application of MOFs materials in room-temperature catalytic treatment of mixed gaseous pollutants.