Co3O4/CeO2 composite oxides for methane emissions abatement: Relationship between Co3O4–CeO2 interaction and catalytic activity

Co₃O₄/CeO₂ composite oxides with different cobalt loading (5, 15, 30, 50, 70 wt.% as Co₃O₄) were prepared by co-precipitation method and investigated for the oxidation of methane under stoichiometric conditions. Pure oxides, Co₃O₄ and CeO₂ were used as reference. Characterization studies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, temperature programmed reduction/oxidation (TPR/TPO) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were carried out.

An improvement of the catalytic activity and thermal stability of the composite oxides was observed with respect to pure Co₃O₄ in correspondence of Co₃O₄–CeO₂ containing 30% by weight of Co₃O₄. The combined effect of cobalt oxide and ceria, at this composition, strongly influences the morphological and redox properties of the composite oxides, by dispersing the Co₃O₄ phase and promoting the efficiency of the Co³⁺–Co²⁺ redox couple. The presence in the sample Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂ of a high relative amount of Ce³⁺/(Ce⁴⁺ + Ce³⁺) as detected by XPS confirms the enhanced oxygen mobility.

The catalysts stability under reaction conditions was investigated by XRD and XPS analysis of the used samples, paying particular attention to the Co₃O₄ phase decomposition. Methane oxidation tests were performed over fresh (as prepared) and thermal aged samples (after ageing at 750 °C for 7 h, in furnace). The resistance to water vapour poisoning was evaluated for pure Co₃O₄ and Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂, performing the tests in the presence of 5 vol.% H₂O. A methane oxidation test upon hydrothermal ageing (flowing at 600 °C for 16 h a mixture 5 vol.% H₂O + 5 vol.%O₂ in He) of the Co₃O₄(30 wt.%)–CeO₂ sample was also performed. All the results confirm the superiority of this composite oxide.     

Combined CO/CH4 oxidation tests over Pd/Co3O4 monolithic catalyst: Effects of high reaction temperature and SO2 exposure on the deactivation process

CO and CH₄ combined oxidation tests were performed over a Pd (70 g/ft³)/Co₃O₄ monolithic catalyst in conditions of GHSV = 100,000 h⁻¹ and feed composition close to that of emission from bi-fuel vehicles. The effect of SO₂ (5 ppm) on CO and CH₄ oxidation activity under lean condition (λ = 2) was investigated. The presence of sulphur strongly deactivated the catalyst towards methane oxidation, while the poisoning effect was less drastic in the oxidation of CO. Saturation of the Pd/Co₃O₄ catalytic sites via chemisorbed SO₃ and/or sulphates occurred upon exposure to SO₂. A treatment of regeneration to remove sulphate species was attempted by performing a heating/cooling cycle up to 900 °C in oxidizing atmosphere. Decomposition of PdO and Co₃O₄ phases at high temperature, above 750 °C, was observed. Moreover, sintering of Pd⁰ and PdO particles along with of CoO crystallites takes place.     

Steam reforming of ethanol over Co3O4/CeO2 catalysts prepared by different methods

In this paper, Co₃O₄/CeO₂ catalysts for steam reforming of ethanol (SRE) were prepared by co-precipitation and impregnation methods. The catalysts prepared by co-precipitation were very active and selective for SRE. Over 10%Co₃O₄/CeO₂ catalyst, ethanol conversion was close to 100% and hydrogen selectivity was about 70% at 450 °C. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and BET surface area measurements. The preparation method influenced the interaction between cobalt and CeO₂ evidently. The incorporation of Co ions into CeO₂ crystal lattice resulted in weaker interaction between cobalt and ceria on catalyst surface. In comparison with catalysts prepared by impregnation, more cobalt ions entered into CeO₂ lattice, and resulted in weaker interaction between active phase and ceria on surface of Co₃O₄/CeO₂ prepared by co-precipitation. Thus, cobalt oxides was easier to be reduced to metal cobalt which was the key active component for SRE. Meanwhile, the incorporation of Co ions into CeO₂ crystal lattice was beneficial for resistance to carbon deposition.     

Catalytic decomposition of N2O over CeO2 promoted Co3O4 spinel catalyst

A series of CeO₂ promoted cobalt spinel catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method and tested for the decomposition of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Addition of CeO₂ to Co₃O₄ led to an improvement in the catalytic activity for N₂O decomposition. The catalyst was most active when the molar ratio of Ce/Co was around 0.05. Complete N₂O conversion could be attained over the CoCe0.05 catalyst below 400 °C even in the presence of O₂, H₂O or NO. Methods of XRD, FE-SEM, BET, XPS, H₂-TPR and O₂-TPD were used to characterize these catalysts. The analytical results indicated that the addition of CeO₂ could increase the surface area of Co₃O₄, and then improve the reduction of Co³⁺ to Co²⁺ by facilitating the desorption of adsorbed oxygen species, which is the rate-determining step of the N₂O decomposition over cobalt spinel catalyst. We conclude that these effects, caused by the addition of CeO₂, are responsible for the enhancement of catalytic activity of Co₃O₄.     

Ethylene dimerization over NiSO4 supported on Fe2O3-promoted ZrO2 catalyst

The NiSO₄ supported on Fe₂O₃-promoted ZrO₂ catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method. Fe₂O₃-promoted ZrO₂ was prepared by the coprecipitation method using a mixed aqueous solution of zirconium oxychloride and iron nitrate solution followed by adding an aqueous ammonia solution. No diffraction line of nickel sulfate was observed up to 20 wt.%, indicating good dispersion of nickel sulfate on the surface of Fe₂O₃–ZrO₂. The addition of nickel sulfate (or Fe₂O₃) to ZrO₂ shifted the phase transition of ZrO₂ (from amorphous to tetragonal) to higher temperatures because of the interaction between nickel sulfate (or Fe₂O₃) and ZrO₂. 15-NiSO₄/5-Fe₂O₃–ZrO₂ containing 15 wt.% NiSO₄ and 5 mol% Fe₂O₃, and calcined at 500 °C exhibited a maximum catalytic activity for ethylene dimerization. NiSO₄/Fe₂O₃–ZrO₂ catalysts was very effective for ethylene dimerization even at room temperature, but Fe₂O₃–ZrO₂ without NiSO₄ did not exhibit any catalytic activity at all. The catalytic activities were correlated with the acidity of catalysts measured by the ammonia chemisorption method. The addition of Fe₂O₃ up to 5 mol% enhanced the acidity, surface area, thermal property, and catalytic activities of catalysts gradually, due to the interaction between Fe₂O₃ and ZrO₂ and due to consequent formation of Fe–O–Zr bond.     

Yb2O3 and Y2O3 co-doped zirconia ceramics

A suspension stabilizer-coating technique was employed to prepare x mol% Yb₂O₃ (x = 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0) and 1.0 mol% Y₂O₃ co-doped ZrO₂ powder. A systematic study was conducted on the sintering behaviour, phase assemblage, microstructural development and mechanical properties of Yb₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ co-doped zirconia ceramics. Fully dense ZrO₂ ceramics were obtained by means of pressureless sintering in air for 1 h at 1450 °C. The phase composition of the ceramics could be controlled by tuning the Yb₂O₃ content and the sintering parameters. Polycrystalline tetragonal ZrO₂ (TZP) and fully stabilised cubic ZrO₂ (FSZ) were achieved in the 1.0 mol% Y₂O₃ stabilised ceramic, co-doped with 1.0 mol% Yb₂O₃ and 4.0 mol% Yb₂O₃, respectively. The amount of stabilizer needed to form cubic ZrO₂ phase in the Yb₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ co-doped ZrO₂ ceramics was lower than that of single phase Y₂O₃-doped materials. The indentation fracture toughness could be tailored up to 8.5 MPa m^1/2 in combination with a hardness of 12 GPa by sintering a 1.0 mol% Yb₂O₃ and 1.0 mol% Y₂O₃ ceramic at 1450 °C for 1 h.     

Phase diagram of the Al2O3–ZrO2–Nd2O3 system

The phase diagram of the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–Nd₂O₃ system was constructed in the temperature range 1250–2800 °C. The liquidus surface of the phase diagram reflects the preferentially eutectic interaction in the system. Two new ternary and one new binary eutectics were found. The minimum melting temperature is 1675 °C and it corresponds to the ternary eutectic Nd₂O₃·11Al₂O₃ + F-ZrO₂ + NdAlO₃. The solidus surface projection and the schematic of the alloy crystallization path confirm the preferentially congruent character of phase interaction in the ternary system. The polythermal sections present the complete phase diagram of the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–Nd₂O₃ system. No ternary compounds or regions of remarkable solid solution were found in the components or binaries in this ternary system.     

Study of n-hexane isomerization on mixed Al2O3–ZrO2/SO4 catalysts

Mixed oxides of alumina and zirconia having a relative composition of 50, 80 and 100% Zr₂O were synthesized by means of sol–gel methods. The catalysts were sulfated with H₂SO₄ 1N, and were loaded with 0.3% Pt metal using the incipient wetness technique. The characterization of the physicochemical properties was carried out using XRD, N₂-adsorption at 78 K, and SEM. The catalytic properties of the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ series were studied by means of dehydration of 2-propanol at 180°C and isomerization of n-hexane at 250°C, 1 atm. The sulfated solids presented a high surface acidity and a limited crystallinity, together with high activity for alcohol dehydration (i.e. 2-propanol). On the other hand, the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ solid solutions (i.e. those having a 20–80% composition) turned out to be the most active ones for the isomerization of n-hexane.     

Role of CeO2 in Ni/CeO2–Al2O3 catalysts for carbon dioxide reforming of methane

Ni catalysts supported on γ-Al₂O₃, CeO₂ and CeO₂–Al₂O₃ systems were tested for catalytic CO₂ reforming of methane into synthesis gas. Ni/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ catalysts showed much better catalytic performance than either CeO₂- or γ-Al₂O₃-supported Ni catalysts. CeO₂ as a support for Ni catalysts produced a strong metal–support interaction (SMSI), which reduced the catalytic activity and carbon deposition. However, CeO₂ had positive effect on catalytic activity, stability, and carbon suppression when used as a promoter in Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts for this reaction. A weight loading of 1–5 wt% CeO₂ was found to be the optimum. Ni catalysts with CeO₂ promoters reduced the chemical interaction between nickel and support, resulting in an increase in reducibility and stronger dispersion of nickel. The stability and less coking on CeO₂-promoted catalysts are attributed to the oxidative properties of CeO₂.     

The red–ox treatments influence on the structure and properties of M2O3–CeO2–ZrO2 (M=Y, La) solid solutions

The introduction of trivalent cation — Y³⁺ or La³⁺ — into the lattice of CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solutions allows to stabilise a cubic structure at low ceria content (30 mol%). The reducibility of the samples has been compared in the experiments of temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The introduction of lanthanum cations decreases the amount of hydrogen consumed during TPR, while the introduction of yttrium ones increases this value. At the same time, the value of temperature of the maximum speed of reduction (T_max) is independent on the trivalent dopant. The reducibility of these solid solutions did not change during repeated red–ox treatments at temperature below 1220 K. It is connected with the high thermostability of all systems in this temperature interval. TPR up to 1470 K causes a significant shift of T_max value to higher temperature and a slight decrease of hydrogen consumption in two to three cycles. It is suggested that this alterations are connected with the sharp decrease of the specific surface area of all samples and partially phase decomposition of CeO₂–ZrO₂ and Y₂O₃–CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solutions. Raman characterisation of the oxygen sublattice of the fresh samples and of the samples after TPR has been carried out.     

Direct decomposition of nitric oxide over Ba catalysts supported on CeO2-based mixed oxides

The direct decomposition of nitric oxide (NO) over barium catalysts supported on various metal oxides was examined in the absence and presence of O₂. Among the Ba catalysts supported on single-component metal oxides, Ba/Co₃O₄ and Ba/CeO₂ showed high NO decomposition activities, while Ba/Al₂O₃, Ba/SiO₂, and Ba/TiO₂ exhibited quite low activities. The effect of an addition of second components to Co and Ce oxides was further examined, and it was found that the activities were significantly enhanced using Ce–Mn mixed oxides as support materials. XRD results indicated the formation of CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions with the cubic fluorite structure. O₂-TPD of the CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions showed a large desorption peak in a range of relatively low temperature. The BET surface areas of the CeO₂–MnO_x solid solutions were larger than those of pure CeO₂ and Mn₂O₃. These effects caused by the addition of Mn are responsible for the enhanced activities of the Ba catalysts supported on Ce–Mn mixed oxides.     

Co3O4–CeO2 mixed oxide-based catalytic materials for diesel soot oxidation

Co₃O₄–CeO₂ type mixed oxide catalyst compositions have been prepared by using co-precipitation method and, their catalytic activity towards diesel particulate matter (PM)/carbon oxidation has been evaluated under both loose and tight contact conditions. These catalysts show excellent catalytic activity for PM/carbon oxidation, despite their low surface area. The activation energy observed for non-catalyzed and catalyzed reactions are 163 kJ/mol and 140 kJ/mol, respectively, which also confirm the catalytic activity of catalyst for carbon/soot oxidation. The promotional effects of an optimum amount of cobalt oxide incorporation in ceria and presence of a small amount of potassium appears to be responsible for the excellent soot oxidation activity of this mixed oxide type material. The catalytic materials show good thermal stability, while their low cost will also add to their potential for practical applications.     

The SMSI between supported platinum and CeO2–ZrO2–La2O3 mixed oxides in oxidative atmosphere

CeO₂–ZrO₂–La₂O₃ (CZL) mixed oxides were prepared by citric acid sol–gel method. The as-received gel was calcined at 500, 700, 900 and 1050 °C to obtain the so-called C5, C7, C9 and CK, respectively. The C5, C7 and C9 powders were impregnated with H₂PtCl₆ and then calcined at 500 °C to prepare P5C5, P5C7 and P5C9, respectively. The impregnated CK powders were calcined at 500, 700 and 900 °C to prepare P5CK, P7CK and P9CK, respectively. The XRD and XPS analyses show that the surface distribution of Pt is evidently influenced by the structural and textural properties of the support. The CO adsorption followed by FTIR reveals that the dispersion and the chemisorption sites of Pt are reduced as the calcination temperature of CZL support increases. The chemisorption ability of the CK samples is even completely deactivated. The encapsulation mechanism, which has been applied to explain the so-called strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) after reductive treatment, is introduced here to demonstrate the abnormal observations though the samples were prepared in oxidative atmosphere. The HRTEM results also confirm this explanation. The effects of oxygen vacancies, the chemisorption sites on the Pt surface and Pt/Ce interfacial sites on the three-way catalytic activities are discussed.     

Sintering of lime doped with La2O3 and CeO2

The sintering of lime doped with up to 2 mol% La₂O₃ as well as CeO₂ was followed on firing at 1400, 1500 and 1600°C. X-ray diffraction and reflected-light microscopy techniques have been used to investigate the phase composition and texture of the fired samples. The load bearing capacity and the rate of hydration of the obtained dense lime samples have also been determined to assess its quality. It is found that doping lime with 0·5–1·0 mol% of either La₂O₃ or CeO₂ and firing up to 1600°C leads to dense and hydration-resistant lime with uniform texture. At this level of the dopant oxides, normal grain growth occurred with the increase in the degree of direct bonding. Doping with less than 0·5 mol% La₂O₃ or CeO₂ is insufficient for inhibiting the discontinuous grain growth of the lime grains. On the other hand, increase in the dopant content above 1·0 mol% showed finer grain sizes at the expense of the degree of direct bonding.     

Toluene oxidation on Pd catalysts supported by CeO2–Y2O3 washcoated cordierite honeycomb

A novel CeO₂–Y₂O₃ (CY) washcoat on cordierite honeycomb was prepared by an impregnation method, which was used as a support to prepare a Pd catalyst. A model reaction of the complete combustion of toluene was conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed Pd/CY catalyst. The CY washcoat support and the Pd/CY catalyst were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, H₂-TPR and SEM techniques. The results show that compared with conventional washcoat the CY washcoat has better adhesion and higher vibration- and heat-resistance. The CY washcoat can anchor well Pd onto the cordierite honeycomb substrate. The formation of a CeO₂–Y₂O₃ solid solution and the steady present of PdO occur at high calcination temperatures, resulting in a better thermal stability. On a Pd/CY catalyst calcined at 500 °C, a 99% of toluene conversion was obtained at 210 °C, and it was stable for reaction time up to 30 h.     

Non-steady activity during methane combustion over Pd/Al2O3 and the influences of Pt and CeO2 additives

Methane combustion over Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts with and without added Pt and CeO₂ in both oxygen-rich and methane-rich mixtures at temperatures in the range 250–520°C has been investigated using a temperature-programmed reaction procedure with on-line gas analysis (FTIR). During the temperature loop under oxygen-rich conditions, there was an appreciable hysteresis in the activity of unmodified Pd/Al₂O₃, which was greatly enhanced over Pd–Pt/Al₂O₃. Over both catalysts the hysteresis was reversed under slightly methane-rich atmospheres, and as temperature was reduced, a sudden collapse or fluctuations in activity were shown respectively over Pd–Pt/Al₂O₃ and Pd/Al₂O₃. Such non-steady behaviour was almost eliminated over Pd/Al₂O₃–CeO₂. Under a very narrow range of conditions and over a Pd/Al₂O₃ packed bed, oscillation of methane combustion was observed.     

Sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of Bi2O3–ZnO–Nb2O5-based ceramics sintered under air and N2 atmosphere

The sintering behavior and dielectric properties of the monoclinic zirconolite-like structure compound Bi₂(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)₂O₇ (BZN) and Bi₂(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3−xV_x)₂O₇ (BZNV, x = 0.001) sintered under air and N₂ atmosphere were investigated. The pure phase were obtained between 810 and 990 °C both for BZN and BZNV ceramics. The substitution of V₂O₅ and N₂ atmosphere accelerated the densification of ceramics slightly. The influences on microwave dielectric properties from different atmosphere were discussed in this work. The best microwave properties of BZN ceramics were obtained at 900 °C under N₂ atmosphere with _r = 76.1, Q = 850 and Q_f = 3260 GHz while the best properties of BZNV ceramics were got at 930 °C under air atmosphere with _r = 76.7, Q = 890 and Q_f = 3580 GHz. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τ_f was not obviously influenced by the different atmospheres. For BZN ceramics the τ_f was −79.8 ppm/°C while τ_f is −87.5 ppm/°C for BZNV ceramics.     

X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of local structure of CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxides with the same composition ratio (Ce/Zr=1)

Three types of CeO₂–ZrO₂ (Ce:Zr=1:1 molar ratio) compounds with different oxygen storage/release capacities (OSCs) were characterized by means of the Ce K-edge and Zr K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). In order to investigate the relationship between the OSC and local structure, the quantitative EXAFS curve-fitting analysis was applied. By enhancing the homogeneity of the Ce and Zr atoms in the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution, the OSC performance increased. Especially, the atomically homogeneous Ce_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ solid solution exhibited the highest OSC among these CeO₂–ZrO₂ samples. Additionally, the local oxygen environment around Ce and Zr was remarkably modified by enhancing the homogeneity of the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution. It was postulated that the enhancement of the homogeneity of the CeO₂–ZrO₂ solid solution and the modification of the oxygen environment would be the source for the OSC improvement.     

Ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation synthesis of mesoporous Co3O4–CeO2 composite oxides for highly selective catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane

The one-step highly selective oxidation of cyclohexane into cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol as the essential intermediates of nylon-6 and nylon-66 is considerably challenging. Therefore, an efficient and low-cost catalyst must be urgently developed to improve the efficiency of this process. In this study, a Co₃O₄–CeO₂ composite oxide catalyst was successfully prepared through ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation. This catalyst exhibited a higher selectivity to KA-oil, which was benefited from the synergistic effects between Co³⁺/Co²⁺ and Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ redox pairs, than bulk CeO₂ and/or Co₃O₄. Under the optimum reaction conditions, 89.6% selectivity to KA-oil with a cyclohexane conversion of 5.8% was achieved over Co₃O₄–CeO₂. Its catalytic performance remained unchanged after five runs. Using the synergistic effects between the redox pairs of different transition metals, this study provides a feasible strategy to design high-performance catalysts for the selective oxidation of alkanes.