The Enhancement of the Catalytic Oxidation of CO on Ir/CeO₂ Nanojunctions

Heterogeneous catalysts facilitate various chemical reactions through the changing of their surface charge density. Herein, we demonstrate an interface engineering strategy to enhance the Ir catalytic performance for oxidation of CO by constructing Ir/CeO₂ nanojunctions using a wet chemical reduction process. The as-prepared Ir/CeO₂ nanojunctions show a complete CO conversion temperature (T₁₀₀) of 110 °C under 1 vol % CO and retains long-term durability even after 24 h. The Ir atoms and CeO₂ supports were connected by O atoms, which changes the surface electronic structure of Ir atoms. DFT calculations demonstrate that the significant increase in electron density at the interface between Ir and CeO₂ plays a pivotal role in the enhancement of CO oxidation.