Low-temperature CO oxidation on CuO-CeO2 catalyst prepared by facile one-step solvothermal synthesis: Improved activity and moisture resistance via optimizing the activation temperature

Development of a highly efficient Cu-based catalyst for low-temperature CO oxidation under moisture condition remains a grand challenge. In this paper, effect of activation temperature (350–800 °C) on catalytic performance of CuO-CeO2, prepared by facile one-step solvothermal synthesis, in CO oxidation was investigated, and the catalysts’ physicochemical properties were studied by TG-DSC, ICP-AES, N2 sorption, XRD, TEM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, in-situ DRIFTS, H2-TPR, CO-TPD, and O2-TPD. It was found that activation at 550 °C is beneficial for the interaction between CuO and CeO2, leading to the formation of more Cu+ species and oxygen vacancies advantageous for improving the catalytic activity. Activation at 800 °C, nevertheless, would weaken the interaction between CuO and CeO2 due to the sintering of CuO and CeO2, thus decreasing the catalytic activity and moisture resistance. Interestingly, no deactivation was observed over the optimal catalyst (activated at 550 °C) after 50 h testing at a low temperature of 87 °C (at which 90% CO conversion was obtained), even when 4.2% water vapor was added into the feed gas.