Redox behavior of (CuO)0.15(CeO2)0.85 mixed oxide catalyst prepared by sol-gel peroxide method

Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), oxidation (TPO) and desorption (T) studies were performed on (CuO)(0.15)(CeO2)(0.85) copper-ceria mixed oxide sample prepared by sol-gel peroxide route. The obtained results reveal that despite initial drop in specific surface area after consecutive redox cycles the hydrogen consumption remains constant. This is because CuO is highly dispersed over the surface of CeO2 nano-crystallites and remains highly dispersed even after the agglomeration of CeO2 nano-crystallites in more dense secondary structure. The dispersed CuO is reduced to Cu-0 during the TPR, forming agglomerated metal particles on the surface of partially reduced CeO2. After subsequent TPO step all the Cu-0 is oxidized back into CuO and re-dispersed over the CeO2 crystallites.