Effect of interaction between CuO and CeO₂ on the performance of CuO-CeO₂ catalysts for selective oxidation of CO in H₂-rich streams

Abstract

A series of CuO–CeO₂ catalysts have been prepared by different methods and the effects of interaction between CuO and CeO₂ on the performance of CuO-CeO₂ catalysts for selective oxidation of CO in H₂-rich streams have been investigated. The results show that HY-CuO-CeO₂ with strong interaction and synergistic effect between interfacial CuO and CeO₂ exhibits superior catalytic activity, especially at low temperatures. For HY-CuO-CeO₂, the temperature of 50 % CO conversion is only 75 °C and the temperature window of CO conversions up to 99.0 % is about 30 ^oC wide, from 120–140 °C. The strong interaction between copper and cerium oxidepromotes the reduction of highly dispersed CuO species, the formation and stability of abundant Cu⁺ species and the production of abundant oxygen vacancies and lattice oxygen of copper oxide.