Dispersion and reduction of copper oxide supported on WO3-modified Ce(0.5)Zr(0.5)O2 solid solution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Nanomaterials and solid solutions are crucial in catalysis.
• Understanding surface interactions is key to designing efficient catalysts.
• Cerium-zirconium oxides offer unique properties for catalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the surface properties of CuO/WO3/Ce(0.5)Zr(0.5)O2 (CZ) samples.
• To understand the dispersion and interaction of tungsten oxide and copper oxide on CZ.
• To elucidate the effect of WO3 loading on the reduction properties of Cu2+.

Main Methods:

• X-ray diffraction (XRD)
• Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis
• Laser Raman spectra (LRS)
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
• Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR)

Main Results:

• Tungsten oxide (WO3) exhibits high dispersion on CZ, with preferential interaction with the ceria component.
• Copper oxide (CuO) dispersion is dependent on WO3 loading: on vacant sites for half-monolayer, and on top for full-monolayer WO3.
• WO3 loading significantly affects the reduction properties of Cu2+ ions, attributed to WO3 monolayer formation and varied Cu2+ coordination.

Conclusions:

• WO3 can be effectively dispersed on CZ, forming interactions with the ceria support.
• The loading amount of WO3 dictates the dispersion sites for CuO and influences the reduction behavior of copper species.
• The study provides insights into the surface chemistry and reduction properties of CuO/WO3/CZ catalysts, relevant for catalytic applications.