Mesoporous Ce1−x Mn x O2 mixed oxides with CuO loading for the catalytic total oxidation of propane

Abstract

High-surface-area mesoporous Ce1−x Mn x O2 mixed oxides were prepared by a surfactant-assisted method of nanocrystalline particle assembly, and their catalytic properties for the total oxidation of propane were evaluated using a microreactor–GC system. The prepared Ce1−x Mn x O2 particles were nanoscaled with fluorite structure, possessing a mesoporous structure with uniform pore-size distribution, which demonstrated very high activity for the propane total oxidation. The promoting effect of CuO on the catalytic activity of Ce1−x Mn x O2 was also investigated, indicating that the addition of copper could improve the catalytic activity for propane conversion. The catalytic behavior depended on the Ce/Mn ratio, the surface area and the mesoporosity of the catalysts. The catalyst with the Ce/Mn ratio of 1.5 exhibited the highest catalytic activity, suggesting a good candidate for replacing noble metal catalysts in the propane total oxidation.