Effective Utilization of the Catalytically Active Phase: NH<Subscript>3</Subscript> Oxidation Over Unsupported and Supported Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Abstract  

The performance of pellets of unsupported and silica-supported Co₃O₄ in the ammonia oxidation was investigated as a function of the particle size to investigate the utilization of the catalytically active phase in these materials. The obtained activity in terms of ammonia conversion over the silica-supported Co₃O₄ is higher compared to the conversion over the unsupported Co₃O₄, despite a lower cobalt oxide loading and more severe diffusional limitations. The effectiveness factor for the silica-supported catalyst is slightly lower than the effectiveness factor for the unsupported catalyst in the form of pellets of similar size. However, the effective utilization of cobalt within the catalyst is higher for the silica-supported catalyst, mainly due to the higher dispersion of the catalytically active phase.     

Nanocasting Synthesis of Mesostructured Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> via a Supercritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Deposition Method and the Catalytic Performance for CO Oxidation

Abstract  

We demonstrate a supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) deposition method to synthesize mesostructured Co₃O₄ with crystalline walls using SBA-15 as the hard template. By variation of the scCO₂ pressure, randomly organized nanorods or a highly ordered mesoporous structure of Co₃O₄ is obtained after only one filling operation. The catalytic tests show that the randomly organized Co₃O₄ nanorods display excellent activity for CO oxidation with the complete conversion of CO even at room temperature, while neither the ordered mesoporous nor bulk Co₃O₄ is active at this low-temperature, demonstrating the important role of Co₃O₄ morphology in catalysis.     

Oxidation of Dry Methane on the Surface of Oxygen Ion-Conducting Membranes

A mix-valenced cobalt oxide, CoO_x, was prepared from cobalt nitrate aqueous solution through a precipitation with sodium hydroxide and an oxidation by hydrogen peroxide. Further, other pure cobalt oxide species were refined from the CoO_x by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) at 170, 230 and 300 °C (labeled as R-170, R-230 and R-300, respectively). They were characterized by X-ray (XRD), infrared (IR), thermogravimetry (TG) and TPR. The major composition of CoO_x is CoO(OH), with a small amount of Co⁴⁺ species; R-170 is CoO(OH) with a hexagonal structure; R-230 is Co₃O₄ with a spinel structure and R-300 is CoO with a cubic structure. Their catalytic activities toward the CO oxidation were further studied in a continuous flow microreactor. The results indicated that the relative activity decreased significantly with the oxidation state of cobalt, i.e., CoO(+2)Co₃O₄(+8/3)CoO(OH)( +3)CoO_x(>+3).     

CO Hydrogenation: Exploring Iridium as a Promoter for Supported Cobalt Catalysts by TPR-EXAFS/XANES and Reaction Testing

Abstract  

The price of iridium currently trends at about half the cost of platinum, the latter being a typical reduction promoter for Co/Al₂O₃ Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis catalysts in gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology. In the current contribution, both fixed-bed catalytic FT and TPR-EXAFS/XANES experiments were carried out over 0.1% iridium-doped 25% Co/Al₂O₃ catalysts in order to (1) assess the effectiveness of Ir as a promoter of cobalt oxide reduction and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) technique for adding the Ir precursor by comparing a catalyst prepared by IWI to one prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Ir was demonstrated to be an effective promoter for facilitating the second step of cobalt oxide reduction, CoO to Co⁰, and the IWI method was found to be superior to ALD.     

Novel promoting effect of SO2 on the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by ammonia over Co3O4 catalyst

Spinel nano-Co₃O₄ was prepared by solid-state reaction at room temperature and investigated for selective catalytic reduction of NO_x by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). Although suffering from pore filling and plugging, treatment of this catalyst by SO₂ showed novel promoting effect on NH₃-SCR above 250 °C. Bulk cobalt sulfate was observed over the sulfated Co₃O₄ with XRD, which would be an active component for NH₃-SCR. The sulphated Co₃O₄ catalyst exhibited good resistance to SO₂ (500 ppm, 100 ppm) and 10% H₂O at a space velocity of about 25 000 h⁻¹ at 300 °C, as tested for 12 h.     

Heterogeneous Co3O4 catalyst for selective oxidation of aqueous veratryl alcohol using molecular oxygen

Nano-structured, spinel Co₃O₄ catalyst was developed for the aqueous phase oxidation of veratryl alcohol, which showed the highest conversion of 85% with 96% selectivity to veratryl aldehyde. The co-existence of Co^3 + and Co^2 + species in the octahedral and tetrahedral positions respectively, was confirmed by XPS, cyclic voltammogram, TPR and TPO characterization. The rod-like morphology of Co₃O₄ catalyst was confirmed by HRTEM. The effects of various reaction parameters namely, catalyst concentration, temperature and partial oxygen pressure on conversion and selectivity patterns were also studied for the oxidation of veratryl alcohol. This catalyst also showed an excellent stability as evidenced by successful reusability for three times.     

Gold catalysts on Co-doped ceria for complete benzene oxidation: Relationship between reducibility and catalytic activity

Very high catalytic activity in complete benzene oxidation (CBO) was observed over gold catalyst on prepared by mechanochemical mixing CeO₂–Co₃O₄ (10 wt.% of dopant). It was significantly higher compared with gold catalysts supported on ceria doped with 5 wt.% or 15 wt.% Co₃O₄. The presence of Co₃O₄ phase and Co-modified ceria was observed by XRD data. The HRTEM/HAADF results revealed that the doping with 10 wt.% Co₃O₄ was favorable for the higher gold dispersion. The highest reducibility, i. e. ability of oxygen supplying of gold catalyst on ceria doped with 10 wt.% Co₃O₄ correlates with the highest oxidation activity in CBO.     

Synthesis, characterization and performance of CuO/La2O3 composite catalyst for ammonia catalytic oxidation

This work considers the oxidation of ammonia (NH₃) by selective catalytic oxidation (SCO) over a CuO/La₂O₃ composite catalyst at temperatures between 150 and 400 °C. A CuO/La₂O₃ composite catalyst was prepared by co-precipitation of copper nitrate and lanthanum nitrate at various molar concentrations. This study also considers how the concentration of influent NH₃ (C₀ = 1000 ppm), the space velocity (GHSV = 92,000 l/h), the relative humidity (RH = 12%) and the concentration of oxygen (O₂ = 4%) affect the operational stability and the capacity for removing NH₃. The catalysts that were characterized using FTIR, XRD, UV-Vis, BET and PSA, have shown that the catalytic behavior is related to the copper (II) oxide, while lanthanum (III) oxide may serve only to provide active sites for the reaction during a catalyzed oxidation run. The experimental results show that the extent of conversion of ammonia by SCO in the presence of the CuO/La₂O₃ composite catalyst was a function of the molar ratio. The ammonia was removed by oxidation in the absence of CuO/La₂O₃ composite catalyst, and around 93.0% NH₃ reduction was achieved during catalytic oxidation over the CuO/La₂O₃ (8:2, molar/molar) catalyst at 400 °C with an oxygen content of 4.0%. Moreover, the effect of the reaction temperature on the removal of NH₃ in the gaseous phase was also monitored at a gas hourly space velocity of under 92,000 h^− 1.     

Manganese and cobalt-terephthalate metal-organic frameworks as a precursor for synthesis of Mn2O3, Mn3O4 and Co3O4 nanoparticles: Active catalysts for olefin heterogeneous oxidation

The thermal decomposition of manganese and cobalt-terephthalate Metal-Organic Framework precursors was utilized as a synthetic route for fabrication of Co₃O₄, Mn₃O₄ and Mn₂O₃ nanoparticles. The prepared metal oxide nanoparticles of Co₃O₄, Mn₃O₄ and Mn₂O₃ possess average size diameter of 40, 60 and 80 nm respectively. The findings demonstrate that spinel structure nanoparticles of Co₃O₄ and Mn₃O₄ exhibit efficient catalytic activity toward heterogeneous olefin epoxidation in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide. In addition, Co₃O₄ and Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles illustrated excellent catalytic stability and reusability for nine and four cycles, respectively, toward olefin oxidation.     

On the Catalytic Activity of Cobalt Oxide for the Steam Reforming of Ethanol

The paper presents an investigation on the catalytic activity for the ethanol steam reforming of Co₃O₄ oxidized, reduced and supported on MgO, and of CoO in MgO solid solution. Only samples containing metallic cobalt are found to be active for reforming reaction. H₂-TPR characterization of aged samples shows that reaction mixture oxidizes a small fraction of metallic cobalt to Co⁺². A distinct role of Co⁺² and Co⁰ in the reaction is enlightened.     

Nickel-facilitated in-situ surface reconstruction on spinel Co3O4 for enhanced electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia

Transition metal oxides have shown efficient catalytic performance for electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (e-NO₃RR). However, the surface evolution on catalyst remains elusive. Deciphering the dynamic evolution of electrocatalyst is pivotal for unveiling the catalytic origin and maximizing catalytic performance. Here, we report that incorporating nickel into Co₃O₄ can improve the electrocatalytic performance for e-NO₃RR to ammonia. Co₂NiO₄ shows excellent e-NO₃RR performance with a maximum Faraday efficiency of 94.9 % and NH₃ yield of 20 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻² at −1.0 V. Importantly, the reconstructed cobalt-nickel hydroxides (Co_yNi_1−y(OH)₂) on the surface of Co_3−xNi_xO₄ is the active phase. DFT calculations confirm that Co_yNi_1−y(OH)₂ facilitates the formation of *NOH intermediate and suppresses HER. Our findings reveal that Ni-incorporation not only promotes the surface reconstruction, but also tunes the electronic structure of catalyst to improve the adsorption of intermediates and reduce the energy barrier. Our work may present a novel strategy to design electrocatalysts for e-NO₃RR.     

Low-temperature continuous wet oxidation of trichloroethylene over CoOx/TiO2 catalysts

TiO₂-supported metal oxides such as CoO_x, CuO_x, NiO_x and FeO_x have been used for catalytic wet oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in a continuous flow type fixed-bed reactor system, and the most promising catalyst for this wet catalysis has been characterized using XPS and XRD techniques. All the supported catalysts gave relatively low conversions for the wet oxidation at 36 °C, except for 5 wt% CoO_x/TiO₂ which exhibited a steady-state conversion of 45% via a transient activity behavior up to 1 h on stream. XPS measurements yielded that a Co 2p_3/2 main peak at 779.8 eV appeared with the 5 wt% CoO_x/TiO₂ catalyst after the continuous wet TCE oxidation at 36 °C for ca. 6 h (spent catalyst) and this binding energy value was equal to that of Co₃O₄ among reference Co compounds used here, while the catalyst calcined at 570 °C (fresh catalyst) possessed a main peak at 781.3 eV, very similar to that for CoTiO_x species such as CoTiO₃ and Co₂TiO₄. Only characteristic reflections for Co₃O₄ were indicated upon XRD measurements even with the fresh catalyst sample. The simplest model, based on these XPS and XRD results, for nanosized Co₃O₄ particles existing with the fresh catalyst could reasonably explain the transient activity behavior observed upon the wet TCE oxidation.     

Methanol oxidation over model cobalt catalysts: Influence of the cobalt oxidation state on the reactivity

X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopies (XPS and XAS) combined with on-line mass spectrometry were applied under working catalytic conditions to investigate methanol oxidation on cobalt. Two cobalt oxidation states (Co₃O₄ and CoO) were prepared and investigated as regards their influence on the catalytic activity and selectivity. In addition adsorbed species were monitored in the transition of the catalyst from a non-active state, to an active one. It is shown that the surface oxidation state of cobalt is readily adapted to the oxygen chemical potential in the CH₃OH/O₂ reaction mixture. In particular, even in oxygen-rich mixtures the Co₃O₄ surface is partially reduced, with the extent of surface reduction following the methanol concentration. The reaction selectivity depends on the cobalt oxidation state, with the more reduced samples favouring the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. In the absence of oxygen, methanol effectively reduces cobalt to the metallic state, also promoting H₂ and CO production. Direct evidence of methoxy and formate species adsorbed on the surface upon reaction was found by analysing the O 1s and C 1s photoelectron spectra. However, the surface coverage of those species was not proportional to the catalytic activity, indicating that they might also act as reaction inhibitors.     

A Thermodynamic Investigation of the Redox Properties of VPO Catalysts

Abstract  

The redox properties of a vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalyst with a V:P ratio of one were investigated using Coulometric Titration at 873 K. Equilibrium between (VO)₂P₂O₇ and VOPO₄ exists at a P(O₂) of 3 × 10⁻⁴ atm, corresponding to ΔG of −60 kJ/mol O₂. This value for VPO is significantly lower than that measured with other vanadium-containing catalysts that have been studied. Furthermore, compared to other vanadium catalysts, V⁺⁴ was stabilized against further reduction at lower P(O₂). These redox thermodynamics may help to explain the unique catalytic properties of VPO catalysts for partial oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride.     

Calibrated Co3O4 nanoparticles patterned in SBA-15 silicas: Accessibility and activity for CO oxidation

The catalytic performances in CO oxidation of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles patterned in the porosity of SBA-15 silicas are investigated. Accessibility limitations of the reactants to the catalytic sites are clearly revealed, when the Co₃O₄ nanoparticles are embedded in the SBA-15 pores. Despite these limitations, the synthesised Co₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit promising CO oxidation properties.     

Calibrated Co3O4 nanoparticles patterned in SBA-15 silicas: Accessibility and activity for CO oxidation

The catalytic performances in CO oxidation of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles patterned in the porosity of SBA-15 silicas are investigated. Accessibility limitations of the reactants to the catalytic sites are clearly revealed, when the Co₃O₄ nanoparticles are embedded in the SBA-15 pores. Despite these limitations, the synthesised Co₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit promising CO oxidation properties.     

Fabrication of efficient nanostructured Co3O4-Graphene bifunctional catalysts: Oxygen evolution,hydrogen evolution,and H2O2 sensing

Nanostructured Co₃O₄-graphene hybrid catalysts are fabricated by a one-step vacuum kinetic spray technique from microparticles of Co₃O₄ and graphite powders. The Co₃O₄-graphene hybrid catalysts with various Co₃O₄ contents are studied concerning the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1.0 M KOH, as well as, H₂O₂ sensing in 0.1 M NaOH. We find that increasing graphene content in the hybrid catalysts results in an overall improvement of the OER electrocatalytic activity due to the enhancement in the charge transfer kinetics. The hybrid catalyst with 25 wt% Co₃O₄ reveals the optimum electrocatalytic activity toward the OER with the lowest overpotential (η) of 283 mV@ 10 mA cm⁻² and superior reaction kinetics with a low Tafel slope of 25 mV dec⁻¹. Besides, the OER stability at 50 mA cm⁻² for 50 h in 1.0 M KOH was verified. The hybrid catalyst with 50 wt% Co₃O₄ revealed the highest activity toward the HER with η of 108 mV@ 10 mA cm⁻², Tafel slope of 90 mV.dec⁻¹, and stability at 50 mA cm⁻² for nearly 30 h. Moreover, it reveals ultrahigh H₂O₂ amperometric detection with superior sensitivity of 18,110 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², linear detection range from 20 μM to 1 mM, and a limit of detection of 0.14 μM.     

Full transition from metal to ceramic by direct oxidation of metallic cobalt powder

The study deals with the direct oxidation kinetics of micronic cobalt metal particles and its simulation for the complete transition from metal to ceramic. The simulation was also experimentally verified. All the three possible interfaces, Co/CoO, CoO/Co₃O₄ and Co₃O₄/O₂ (air), have been taken into consideration for the simulation. The complete oxidation kinetics has been investigated from the thermogravimetric studies under isothermal conditions in the temperatures 973–1173 K. A quantitative interpretation based on the diffusion of Co or oxygen ions through the grown oxide layer has been proposed. The activation energy for the oxidation kinetics calculated from the Arrhenius law was 161 ± 20 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Molybdenum Schiff Base Complex Covalently Anchored to Silica-Coated Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles as a Novel Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Oxidation of Alkenes

Abstract  

Silica-coated cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were prepared and functionalized with Schiff base groups to yield immobilized bidentate ligands. The functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were then treated with Mo (O₂)₂(acac)₂, resulting in the novel immobilized molybdenum Schiff base catalyst. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The immobilized molybdenum complex was shown to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidation of various alkenes using t-BuOOH as oxidant. This catalyst, which is easily recovered by simple magnetic decantation, could be reused several times without significant degradation in catalytic activity.     

In situ encapsulated subnanometric CoO clusters within silicalite-1 zeolite for efficient propane dehydrogenation

Cobalt-based catalysts are promising alternatives to replace Pt- and Cr-based catalysts for propane dehydrogenation (PDH). However, the sintering and reduction of unstable Co sites cause fast deactivation. Herein, the ultrasmall cobalt oxide clusters encapsulated within silicalite-1 zeolites (CoO@S-1) has been obtained via a ligand assistance in situ crystallization method. This CoO@S-1 catalyst exhibits an attractive propylene formation rate of 13.66 mmol_C3H6·g_cat⁻¹·h⁻¹ with selectivity of >92% and is durable during 120-h PDH reaction with five successive regeneration cycles. The high PDH activity of CoO@S-1 is assigned to the encapsulated CoO clusters are favorable for propane adsorption and can better stabilize the detached H* species from propane, leading to the lower dehydrogenation barriers than framework Co²⁺ cations and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles. Additionally, the π-binding propylene on CoO clusters can prevent the over-dehydrogenation reaction compared with the di-σ binding propylene on metallic Co, leading to the superior propylene selectivity and catalytic stability.