Insights into enhanced stability and activity of silica modified SiC supported iron oxide catalyst in sulfuric acid decomposition

Abstract

The agglomeration and sintering of metal nanoparticles due to poor thermal stability are major causes of catalyst deactivation in many metal loaded catalysts used in industrially important high temperature reactions. This work is taken up choosing an iron oxide nano-catalyst dispersed on a silica surface grown on a SiC support material for an endothermic high temperature and highly corrosive reaction condition such as sulfuric acid decomposition. These combined theoretical and experimental findings not only allow us to design cheaper and stable catalysts but also provide an atomistic insight into the mechanism of the metal-support interaction. Consequently, the successful tuning of the latter helps in enhancement of overall activity and stability. The high activity and stability are attributed to the presence of oxygen deficit sites in the catalyst developed for the model reaction under consideration.