In situ FTIR Study of Cobalt Oxides for the Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide

A high-valance cobalt oxide, CoO _x , was prepared from cobalt nitrate aqueous solution through precipitation with sodium hydroxide and oxidation by hydrogen peroxide. Further, other pure cobalt oxide species were refined from the CoO _x by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) to 170, 230 and 300 °C. They were characterized by TPR and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Adsorption of CO and the co-adsorption of CO/O₂ over the cobalt oxides were further tested by in situ FTIR. It was shown that Co₃O₄ is quite active for the oxidation of CO at room temperature in the presence of oxygen, leading to the formation of CO₂. The variation in the oxidation of CO was interpreted with a mechanism involving two kinds of oxygen species, i.e., *-O₂ on the CoO _x surface and *-O_L on the surface of Co₃O₄ spinel structure.