Carbon Monoxide Oxidation over Au/Ce1−x Zr x O2 Catalysts: Effects of Moisture Content in the Reactant Gas and Catalyst Pretreatment

Abstract

The Au/Ce1−x Zr x O2 (x = 0, 0.25, 1) catalysts were synthesized, characterized by BET, XRD, TPR-H2, HRTEM, AAS and tested in CO oxidation. The effect of moisture in the reactant gas on CO conversion has been studied in a wide range of concentrations (~0.7–6000 ppm). Moisture generates a positive effect on catalytic activity and wet conditions gave higher CO conversions. The optimum concentration of moisture for CO oxidation over Au/CeO2 and Au/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 is 200–1000 ppm, while further increase in the moisture content suppresses CO conversion. The activity of the studied Au catalysts depends on the amount of moisture adsorbed on the catalyst rather than on its content in the feed stream, which suggests that the reaction involves water-derived species on the catalysts surface. The effect of the catalysts pretreatment in air, dry He, H2 stream as well as H2 + H2O gas mixture on their catalytic performance in CO oxidation has been also investigated. The model of the active sites for CO oxidation over the studied catalysts was proposed.