Manganese Oxide Nanoarchitectures for Broad-Spectrum Removal of Toxic Gases in Air-Filtration Applications

A high-surface-area, highly porous manganese oxide (MnOx) in the form of xerogel or aerogel monoliths or powders comprising a manganese oxide nanoarchitecture comprising an interior surface area >200 m2 g−1, wherein the MnOx gel has a void structure comprising pores that are sized from 2-150 nm, and wherein the manganese oxide nanoarchitecture removes toxic gas from a toxic gas and air mixture at room temperature via an oxidative mechanism that converts the toxic gas to an innocuous adsorbed substance. These high-surface-area, ultraporous manganese oxide (MnOx) xerogels and aerogels exhibit outstanding filtration performance for multiple, chemically distinct toxic gases, including ammonia, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These MnOx materials use multiple mechanisms for small molecule capture/catalysis including molecular sieving and oxidative decomposition, and function in a wide range of humidity conditions.