Effects of the ratio of Cu/Co and metal precursors on the catalytic activity over Cu-Co/Al 2O 3 prepared using the polyol process

Abstract

Cu-Co bimetallic catalysts were prepared using a simple polyol process. The effects of various metal precursors (nitrate, acetate, and chloride) and Cu/Co ratios on the activities of the catalysts were evaluated for toluene oxidation and NO reduction. The results indicated that the use of the metal precursor Cu-Co acetate in preparing the bimetallic catalysts resulted in good metal dispersion and high catalytic activity. When the atomic Cu/Co ratio was 0.21 in the Al 2O 3-supported catalyst, the dispersion of active sites was promoted by the Cu, and the catalytic activity was stable over the reaction time. CuO and Cu 0 species and large particle sizes (20 nm) formed when the Co loading weight in the catalyst increased, and conversion decreased. When the reaction temperature was 300 °C, NO and toluene were able to be simultaneously removed with high conversion rates (83% and 98%).