Solid Solution Derived Cu Clusters on Partially Reduced CuCeO₂ with Abundant Oxygen Vacancies Enable Efficient...

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• The reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is crucial for converting CO2 into CO, aiding carbon neutrality efforts.
• Developing efficient and stable catalysts is key to advancing RWGS technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a highly active and selective Cu/CeO2 catalyst for the RWGS reaction.
• To investigate the structure-activity relationship of the catalyst for enhanced CO2 conversion.

Main Methods:

• Co-precipitation method at pH 10 to synthesize Cu/CeO2 catalysts.
• Advanced characterization techniques (e.g., XRD, TEM) to analyze catalyst structure.
• Performance evaluation of the RWGS reaction at 400°C with a CO2/H2 ratio of 1:4.

Main Results:

• The Cu/CeO2-10 catalyst achieved an intrinsic reaction rate of 428.4 mmol·gcat⁻¹·h⁻¹ with 100% CO selectivity.
• The optimal catalyst exhibited a high fraction of CuCeO2 solid solution, dispersed Cu clusters, and abundant oxygen vacancies.
• Synergistic effects between Cu and oxygen vacancies enhanced RWGS activity and lowered activation energy.

Conclusions:

• The co-precipitation method at pH 10 yields a superior Cu/CeO2 catalyst for RWGS.
• The catalyst's structure, featuring CuCeO2 solid solution and oxygen vacancies, is responsible for its high performance.
• The developed catalyst demonstrates excellent stability for long-term CO2 conversion applications.