Preparation and Characterization of UiO-66-Supported Cu–Ce Bimetal Catalysts for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation

Abstract

A series of Zr-based metal–organic frameworks (UiO-66) supported CuO–CeO2 catalysts with various total metal loadings and various Cu/Ce ratios were prepared by using a co-impregnation method. The catalytic activities of the catalysts for low temperature oxidation of carbon monoxide were compared with that supported on the ZrO2 and mesostructured cellular foam silica. The results show that the catalysts supported by UiO-66 are expected to give the best catalytic activity, which should be attributed to the special construction of UiO-66. The samples were further characterized by XRD, TEM, N2 adsorption–desorption, H2-TPR, XPS, and in situ DRIFT. And the catalyst with a bimetallic loading of 50 wt% and Cu/Ce ratio of 3:7 (wt/wt) has the highest catalytic activity, which can be attributed to the larger amount of finely dispersed Cu species strongly interacting with CeO2, the highest amounts of oxygen vacancies and Cu+ species on the catalyst surface.