Tailoring the reducibility and catalytic activity of CuO nanoparticles for low temperature CO oxidation |
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| Authors: | Abdallah F. Zedan Assem T. Mohamed M. Samy El-Shall Siham Y. AlQaradawi Amina S. AlJaber |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713 Qatar.; National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613 Egypt ; Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA 23284 USA, |
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| Abstract: | Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles have received considerable interest as active and inexpensive catalysts for various gas–solid reactions. The CuO reducibility and surface reactivity are of crucial importance for the high catalytic activity. Herein, we demonstrate that the reducibility and stability of CuO nanoparticles can be controlled and tailored for the high catalytic activity of CO oxidation. The synthesized CuO nanoparticles possessed enhanced reducibility in CO atmosphere at lower reduction temperature of 126 °C compared to 284 °C for that of reference CuO particles. Moreover, the CuO catalysts with tailored reducibility demonstrated a reaction rate of 35 μmol s−1 g−1 and an apparent activation energy of 75 kJ mol−1. Furthermore, the tailored catalysts exhibited excellent long-term stability for CO oxidation for up to 48 h on stream. These readily-reducible CuO nanoparticles could serve as efficient, inexpensive and durable catalysts for CO oxidation at low temperatures.Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles of tailored reducibility could be used as inexpensive, efficient and durable catalysts for CO oxidation at low temperature. |
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