Synergistic effect of Cu on a Ag-loaded CeO2 catalyst for soot oxidation with improved generation of active oxygen species and reducibility

In this work, the promoting effects of Cu on Ag-loaded CeO2 catalysts on soot oxidation were investigated through a series of Cu-incorporated catalysts (AgCu(x)Ce) with various amounts of Cu. Ag particles were highly dispersed over Cu(x)Ce mixed oxide, and AgCu(x)Ce catalysts presented improved activity in comparison to Ag/CeO2. Raman spectra and H2-TPR showed that the complex effects of the Ag-CeO2 and CuO-CeO2 interactions enhanced the ability to generate highly active superoxide (O2−) and greatly improved the reducibility of AgCu(x)Ce catalysts. The amount of Cu affected degrees of both the Ag-CeO2 and CuO-CeO2 interactions, and consequently, the ratio of active oxygen species (Oxn−) and the reducibility of the catalysts varied. AgCu(0.4)Ce with adequate surface oxygen vacancies promoted the generation of O2−, and the promoting effects enhanced the reducibility, resulting in greatly improved activity. It is suggested that introduction of Cu to Ag/CeO2 significantly improves the activity of the catalyst and that the optimized Cu content induces positive interrelations, whereas excessive Cu hinders the improvement in catalytic performance due to decreased synergistic effects between the Ag-CeO2 and CuO-CeO2 interactions.