Efficient electrostatic field-assisted catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethane: Mechanistic differences on CeO2 and WOx/CeO2

This study investigated the electrostatic field (EF)-assisted catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) using CeO₂ and WOₓ/CeO₂ catalysts, focusing on the role of EF in enhancing catalytic performance. Results indicated that under EF, DCE degradation on CeO₂ occurs through a mixed mechanism, including Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L–H) via electronic conduction and Mars-van Krevelen (MvK) through lattice oxygen migration, with all DCE activation and oxidation steps accelerated by EF. For 10 W/CeO₂, DCE degradation primarily follows the L–H mechanism due to enhanced interfacial electronic effects. EF improves O₂ activation at interfacial oxygen vacancies and strengthens DCE dechlorination on polarized Brønsted acidic sites at WOₓ/CeO₂ interfaces. The presence of water vapor further enhanced the performance of CeO₂-based catalysts within EF by altering H₂O adsorption-activation and providing more active oxygen or protons for reaction involvement. This study concludes that EF-assisted catalysis offers a robust strategy for mitigating chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) pollution. [Display omitted] •EF enhances DCE degradation through a combination of L–H and MvK mechanisms on CeO₂.•EF strengthens the L–H mechanism by enhancing interfacial effects on 10 W/CeO₂.•EF accelerates O₂ activation and DCE dechlorination at WOₓ/CeO₂ interfaces.•EF improves performance under wet conditions by altering the adsorption and activation behavior of H₂O.