Fabricating Highly Efficient Ternary Mn–CeO _<i>x</i> /Co ₃ O ₄ Catalysts for Low Temperature Thermal Desorption of Persistent Perfluorooctanoic Acid in Soil

ABSTRACT Developing efficient catalytic thermal desorption systems is of great significance in the field of sustainable soil remediation. Herein, novel Mn–Ce solid solution modified Co 3 O 4 nanocrystals were successfully prepared for the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in soil. The ternary Mn–CeO x /Co 3 O 4 catalyst exhibited the maximum of 99.2% for PFOA degradation at 200°C, while the N 2 flow rate was 0.5 L min −1 and the catalyst content added up to 0.5% of the soil mass. The superior performance of the optimized catalyst can be ascribed to the mutual conversion of oxidation valence states of Mn, Ce, and Co elements, respectively, which dramatically improved its oxygen mobility and the strength of surface acid sites. Furthermore, the probable reaction pathways were proposed according to the main intermediates identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC–MS). This study provides a cost‐effective strategy for practical catalytic thermal desorption towards the remediation of toxic persistent organics in soil.