CeO/CuOx nanostructured films for CO oxidation and CO oxidation in hydrogen-rich streams using a micro-structured reactor

Abstract

The CO oxidation reaction has a strong implication in environmental catalysis; besides a promising performance of CeO2/CuOx systems in inverse coniguration has been demonstrated, in which ceria is deposited in larger copper oxide particles thatact as support. In this work, in situ growths of nanostructured copper oxide ilms (CuOx) modiied with ceria nanoparticles(Nps) were obtained, which were studied in the CO oxidation and the CO oxidation in hydrogen-rich streams (COProx). Therewas an efective stabilization of ceria Nps on the nanometric crystals of CuOx growths and the CeO2/CuOx ilms exhibitedan enhanced activity in the oxidation of CO and COProx due to new active sites developed at the contact interface betweenboth oxide nanostuctures. The microreactors were stable for 24 h in reaction at high conversion levels without deactivating,thus preserving the high synergy between CeO2 and CuOx. In COProx, the selectivity at high temperature was also improvedby reducing the amount of oxygen in the reagents stream that lowered the contribution of the H2 oxidation undesirablereaction. Micro-structured reactors with inverse CeO2/CuOx phase have potential as a simple low cost alternative with highperformance in the oxidation of CO in both air and hydrogen-rich streams