Formaldehyde (HCHO) removal from air at room (ambient) temperature by effective catalysts is of significance for improving indoor air quality, and catalysts with high efficiency and good recyclability are highly desirable. In this study, platinum (Pt) supported on nanorod-shaped Co3O4 (Pt/Co3O4) was prepared by calcination of microwave-assisted synthesized Co3O4 precursor followed by NaBH4-reduction of Pt precursor. The as-prepared Co3O4 exhibited a morphology of nanorods with lengths of 400-700 nm and diameters of approximately 40-50 nm, which were self-assembled by nanoparticles. The Pt/Co3O4 catalyst exhibited a superior catalytic performance for HCHO oxidation at room temperature compared to Pt supported on commercial Co3O4 (Pt/Co3O4-c) and Pt supported on commercial TiO2 (PtiTiO(2)), which is mainly due to the high oxygen mobility resulting from its distinct nanorod morphology, strong metal support interaction between Pt and Co3O4, and the intrinsic redox nature of the Co3O4 support. This study provides new insights into the fabrication of high-performance catalysts for indoor air purification. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.