One of the most prominent evils of rapid industrialization has been the emission of toxic pollutants into the surrounding biosphere, with often disastrous consequences for human beings. Several industrial processes, such as chemical manufacturing and printing, along with facilities such as power plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are known to be cancer-causing and raise an important environmental issue in need of a solution. Traditionally, VOCs are controlled via a process called catalytic oxidation, in which they are converted into benign materials in the presence of noble metal (e.g. gold, silver, and platinum) nanoparticles. However, the process is expensive and requires a fine-tuning of nanoparticle characteristics. Thus, a catalytic process not requiring noble metal catalysts is highly desirable. While transition metals and their oxides are a possible alternative, they require complex syntheses and precise chemical composition control.