Xps study of the reduction behaviour of CuO/CdO/Al2O3 catalyst

The changes occurring at the surface of a CuO/CdO/Al2O3 catalyst during 230°C in vacuum were followed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Only a partial reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) was observed. By treatment in H2, Cu(II) was reduced first to Cu(I) and then to Cu(O), and the decrease of Cu/Cd intensity ratio as a function of the reduction temperature was observed.