Co3O4−CeO2 Nanocomposites for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation

In an effort to combine the favorable catalytic properties of Co₃O₄ and CeO₂, nanocomposites with different phase distribution and Co₃O₄ loading were prepared and employed for CO oxidation. Synthesizing Co₃O₄-modified CeO₂ via three different sol-gel based routes, each with 10.4 wt % Co₃O₄ loading, yielded three different nanocomposite morphologies: CeO₂-supported Co₃O₄ layers, intermixed oxides, and homogeneously dispersed Co. The reactivity of the resulting surface oxygen species towards CO were examined by temperature programmed reduction (CO-TPR) and flow reactor kinetic tests. The first morphology exhibited the best performance due to its active Co₃O₄ surface layer, reducing the light-off temperature of CeO₂ by about 200 °C. In contrast, intermixed oxides and Co-doped CeO₂ suffered from lower dispersion and organic residues, respectively. The performance of Co₃O₄-CeO₂ nanocomposites was optimized by varying the Co₃O₄ loading, characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N₂ sorption (BET). The 16–65 wt % Co₃O₄−CeO₂ catalysts approached the conversion of 1 wt % Pt/CeO₂, rendering them interesting candidates for low-temperature CO oxidation.     

Galvanic replacement synthesis of AgxAu1–x@CeO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) core@shell nanospheres with greatly enhanced catalytic performance

A galvanic replacement strategy has been successfully adopted to design Ag_xAu_1–x@CeO₂ core@shell nanospheres derived from Ag@CeO₂ ones. After etching using HAuCl₄, the Ag core was in situ replaced with Ag_xAu_1–x alloy nanoframes, and void spaces were left under the CeO₂ shell. Among the as-prepared Ag_xAu_1–x@CeO₂ catalysts, Ag_0.64Au_0.36@CeO₂ shows the optimal catalytic performance, whose catalytic efficiency reaches even 2.5 times higher than our previously reported Pt@CeO₂ nanospheres in the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by ammonia borane (AB). Besides, Ag_0.64Au_0.36@CeO₂ also exhibits a much lower 100% conversion temperature of 120 °C for catalytic CO oxidation compared with the other samples.     

Different Synthesis Protocols for Co3O4–CeO2 Catalysts—Part 1: Influence on the Morphology on the Nanoscale

Co₃O₄‐modified CeO₂ (Co/Ce 1:4) was prepared by a combination of sol–gel processing and solvothermal treatment. The distribution of Co was controlled by means of the synthesis protocol to yield three different morphologies, namely, Co₃O₄ nanoparticles located on the surface of CeO₂ particles, coexistent Co₃O₄ and CeO₂ nanoparticles, or Co oxide structures homogeneously distributed within CeO₂. The effect of the different morphologies on the properties of Co₃O₄–CeO₂ was investigated with regard to the crystallite phase(s), particle size, surface area, and catalytic activity for CO oxidation. The material with Co₃O₄ nanoparticles finely dispersed on the surface of CeO₂ particles had the highest catalytic activity.     

l‐Arginine‐Triggered Self‐Assembly of CeO2 Nanosheaths on Palladium Nanoparticles in Water

Pd@CeO₂ core–shell nanostructures with a tunable Pd core size, shape, and nanostructure as well as a tunable CeO₂ sheath thickness were obtained by a biomolecule‐assisted method. The synthetic process is simple and green, as it involves only the heating of a mixture of Ce(NO₃)₃, l ‐arginine, and preformed Pd seeds in water without additives. Importantly, the synthesis is free of thiol groups and halide ions, thus providing a possible solution to the problem of secondary pollution by Pd nanoparticles in the sheath‐coating process. The Pd/CeO₂ nanostructures can be composited well with γ‐Al₂O₃ to create a heterogeneous catalyst. In subsequent tests of catalytic NO reduction by CO, Pd@CeO₂/Al₂O₃ samples based on Pd cubes (6, 10, and 18 nm), Pd octahedra (6 nm), and Pd cuboctahedra (9 nm) as well as a simply loaded Pd cube (6 nm)–CeO₂/Al₂O₃ sample were used as catalysts to investigate the effects of the Pd core size and shape and the hybrid nanostructure on the catalytic performance.     

Effect of Calcination Temperature on the Catalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde Over Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>–CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Catalysts

The effect of calcination temperature (350–650?°C) on the structure and catalytic activity of Co₃O₄–CeO₂ mixed oxides prepared by sol–gel method was investigated by XRD, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. The Co₃O₄–CeO₂ calcined at 450?°C (Co₃O₄–CeO₂-450) exhibited the best performance, showing that the complete oxidation of HCHO was achieved at temperature as low as 80?°C. The results of characterizations revealed that the Co₃O₄–CeO₂-450 had excellent catalytic activity due to the larger specific surface area, the best reducibility and more abundant surface active oxygen species.     

Identification of the Active Sites for Low Temperature CO Oxidation over Nanocrystalline Co3O4 Catalysts

The microstructural properties of dry‐grinding derived Co₃O₄ catalysts pretreated under different atmospheres, in relation to the activities on CO oxidation were investigated. The Co₃O₄ synthesized by soft reactive grinding and pretreated with O₂ resulted in the best activity, with 100% conversion of CO at ?52 °C, superior to that of Co₃O₄ pretreated with He. To find out the active sites on Co₃O₄ for low temperature CO oxidation, the characterizations of the cobalt oxides had been investigated by means of N₂ physisorption, XRD, TEM, H₂‐TPR, CO‐titration, XPS and O₂‐TPD technologies. XPS of Co2p results show that it is difficult to ascribe the difference in catalytic performance to the surface concentration of active Co³⁺ sites. A correlation between the activity and the CO‐titration and O₂‐TPD results for Co₃O₄ reveals that a high abundance of readily accessible superficial electrophilic oxygen (O^?) species is important for achieving a high activity. Therefore, CO oxidation takes place on the surface active oxygen sites in Co₃O₄ crystallites via the suprafacial mechanism.     

Constructing magnetic Fe3O4‐Au@CeO2 hybrid nanofibers for selective catalytic degradation of organic dyes

Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) play a vital role in heterogeneous catalytic reactions. However, pristine Au NPs usually suffer from poor selectivity and difficult recyclability. In this work, Fe₃O₄‐Au@CeO₂ hybrid nanofibers were prepared via a simple one‐pot redox reaction between HAuCl₄ and Ce (NO₃)₃ in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanofibers. CeO₂ shell was uniformly coated on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanofibers to form a unique core‐shell structure, while Au NPs were encapsulated inside the CeO₂ shell. The as‐prepared Fe₃O₄‐Au@CeO₂ hybrid nanofibers have been proved to be positively surface charged due to the formation of CeO₂ shell, enabling them to be good candidates for predominant selective catalytic activity towards the degradation of negatively charged organic dyes. In addition, the Fe₃O₄‐Au@CeO₂ hybrid nanofibers showed magnetic properties, offering them excellent recyclable usability. This work presents a facile and effective solution to prepare magnetic noble metal/metal oxide hybrid nanomaterials with unique chemical structure and surface characteristic for promising applications in heterogeneous catalysis.     

The Interplay between Structure and Product Selectivity of CO2 Hydrogenation

Identification of the active structure under reaction conditions is of great importance for the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts. However, this is often hampered by their structural complexity. The interplay between the surface structure of Co₃O₄ and the CO₂ hydrogenation is described. Co₃O₄ with morphology‐dependent crystallographic surfaces presents different reducibility and formation energy of oxygen vacancies, thus resulting in distinct steady‐state composition and product selectivity. Co₃O₄‐0 h rhombic dodecahedra were completely reduced to Co⁰ and CoO, which presents circa 85 % CH₄ selectivity. In contrast, Co₃O₄‐2 h nanorods were partially reduced to CoO, which exhibits a circa 95 % CO selectivity. The crucial role of the Co₃O₄ structure in determining the catalytic performance for higher alcohol synthesis over CuCo‐based catalysts is demonstrated. As expected, Cu/Co₃O₄‐2 h shows nine‐fold higher ethanol yield than Cu/Co₃O₄‐0 h owing to the inhibition for methanation.     

Multishelled Metal Oxide Hollow Spheres: Easy Synthesis and Formation Mechanism

Uniform multishelled NiO, Co₃O₄, ZnO, and Au@NiO hollow spheres were synthesized (NiO and Co₃O₄ hollow spheres for the first time) by a simple shell‐by‐shell self‐assembly allowing for tuning of the the size, thickness and shell numbers by controlling the heat treatment, glucose/metal salt molar ratio, and hydrothermal reaction time. These findings further the development of synthetic methodologies for multishelled hollow structures and could open up new opportunities for deeper understanding of the mechanisms of shell‐by‐shell self‐assembly. Moreover, the double‐shelled NiO hollow sphere exhibits a higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange than its morphological counterparts.     

Co3O4/CeO2异质结制备及其在碱性介质中电催化析氧性能

通过简易的两步法制备一系列Co_3O_4/CeO_2异质结。其结构、形貌和微结构分别通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)表征。在碱性介质中,其电催化析氧性能随着Co_3O_4/CeO_2质量比的变化而变化,并有一最佳值。当Co_3O_4和CeO_2质量比为58.5%时,在1.0 mol·L~(-1)KOH溶液中,10 mA·cm~(-2)的电流密度下,过电位为347 mV,Tafel斜率为72.7mV·dec~(-1),并且稳定性良好。此时的过电位低于Co_3O_4(440 mV)、商用RuO_2(359 mV)和CeO_2(570 mV)。X射线光电子能谱(XPS)显示Co_3O_4的部分电子向CeO_2转移。这导致复合材料的导电性提高,CeO_2表面的氧空位浓度和活性氧物种增加。     

Synthesis and characterization of a bifunctional nanomagnetic solid acid catalyst (Fe3O4@CeO2/SO42−) and investigation of its efficiency in the protection process of alcohols and phenols via hexamethyldisilazane under solvent‐free conditions

In this research, Fe₃O₄@CeO₂ (FC) was synthesized using the coprecipitation method and functionalized by an ammonium sulfate solution to achieve a heterogeneous solid acid Fe₃O₄@CeO₂/SO₄^2? (FCA) catalyst. The synthesized bifunctional catalyst was used in the protection process of alcohols and phenols using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) at ambient temperature under solvent‐free conditions. Due to its excellent magnetic properties, FCA can easily be separated from the reaction mixture and reused several times without significant loss in its catalytic activity. Excellent yield and selectivity, simple separation, low cost, and high recyclability of the nanocatalyst are outstanding advantages of this procedure. The characterization was carried out using different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM).     

Co3O4@Cu-Based Conductive Metal–Organic Framework Core–Shell Nanowire Electrocatalysts Enable Efficient Low-Overall-Potential Water Splitting

In the work reported herein, the electrocatalytic properties of Co₃O₄ in hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions have been significantly enhanced by coating a shell layer of a copper-based metal–organic framework on Co₃O₄ porous nanowire arrays and using the products as high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. The coating of the copper-based metal–organic framework resulted in the hybridization of the copper-embedded protective carbon shell layer with Co₃O₄ to create a strong Cu−O−Co bonding interaction for efficient hydrogen adsorption. The hybridization also led to electronically induced oxygen defects and nitrogen doping to effectively enhance the electrical conductivity of Co₃O₄. The optimal as-prepared core–shell hybrid material displayed excellent overall-water-splitting catalytic activity that required overall voltages of 1.45 and 1.57 V to reach onset and a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², respectively. This is the first report to highlight the relevance of hybridizing MOF-based co-catalysts to boost the electrocatalytic performance of nonprecious transition-metal oxides.     

Effect of Calcination Temperature on Surface Oxygen Vacancies and Catalytic Performance Towards CO Oxidation of Co3O4 Nanoparticles Supported on SiO2

Co₃O₄/SiO₂ catalysts for CO oxidation were prepared by conventional incipient wetness impregnation followed by calcination at various temperatures. Their structures were char-acterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Both XRD and Raman spectroscopy only detect the ex-istence of Co₃O₄ crystallites in all catalysts. However, XPS results indicate that excess Co²⁺ ions are present on the surface of Co₃O₄ in Co₃O₄(200)/SiO₂ as compared with bulk Co₃O₄. Meanwhile, TPR results suggest the presence of surface oxygen vacancies on Co₃O₄ in Co₃O₄(200)/SiO₂, and XAFS results demonstrate that Co₃O₄ in Co₃O₄(200)/SiO₂ con-tains excess Co²⁺. Increasing calcination temperature results in oxidation of excess Co²⁺ and the decrease of the concentration of surface oxygen vacancies, consequently the for-mation of stoichiometric Co₃O₄ on supported catalysts. Among all Co₃O₄/SiO₂ catalysts,Co₃O₄(200)/SiO₂ exhibits the best catalytic performance towards CO oxidation, demon-strating that excess Co²⁺ and surface oxygen vacancies can enhance the catalytic activity of Co₃O₄ towards CO oxidation. These results nicely demonstrate the effect of calcination temperature on the structure and catalytic performance towards CO oxidation of silica-supported Co₃O₄ catalysts and highlight the important role of surface oxygen vacancies on Co₃O₄.     

Electronic Metal-Support Interaction-Modified Structures and Catalytic Activity of CeOx Overlayers in CeOx/Ag Inverse Catalysts

Electronic metal-support interactions (EMSIs) of oxide-supported metal catalysts strongly modifies the electronic structures of the supported metal nanoparticles. The strong influence of EMSIs on the electronic structures of oxide overlayers on metal nanoparticles employing cerium oxides/Ag inverse catalysts is reported herein. Ce₂O₃ overlayers were observed to exclusively form on Ag nanocrystals at low cerium loadings and be resistant to oxidation treatments up to 250 °C, whereas CeO₂ overlayers gradually developed as the cerium loading increased. Ag cubes enclosed by {001} facets with a smaller work function exert a stronger EMSI effect on the CeO_x overlayers than Ag cubes enclosed by {111} facets. Only the CeO₂ overlayers with a fully developed bulk CeO₂ electronic structure significantly promote the catalytic activity of Ag nanocrystals in CO oxidation, whereas cerium oxide overlayers with other electronic structures do not. These results successfully extend the concept of EMSIs from oxide-supported metal catalysts to metal-supported oxide catalysts.     

Ordered mesoporous Pt/Fe3O4–CeO2 heterostructure gel particles with enhanced catalytic performance for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol

The unique physicochemical properties of ordered mesoporous transition metal oxides have attracted more and more attention. The hydrolysis process of metal oxide precursors is difficult to control, and it is difficult to synthesize an ordered mesoporous transition metal oxide material using the conventional template method. Ordered mesoporous Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ heterostructure gel materials with excellent catalytic properties were successfully prepared using aerogel technology and the chemical deposition method. The Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ material was an n–n combined heterostructured semiconductor material which consisted of a magnetic Fe₃O₄ layer, a CeO₂ core and Pt noble metal doped nanoparticles. A layer of Fe₃O₄ thin film was formed on the surface of ordered mesoporous Pt/CeO₂ gel matrix material using the chemical deposition method. The intriguing heterostructural features could facilitate reactant diffusion and exposure of active sites which could enhance synergistic catalytic effects between the Pt nanoparticles and CeO₂ nanoparticles. Compared with Pt/CeO₂, the prepared Pt/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ showed enhanced catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol at room temperature. The catalytic activity of the heterostructure catalysts was systematically investigated using 4-nitrophenol reduction as a model reaction. The results showed that the Pt (0.1%)/Fe₃O₄–CeO₂ sample exhibited the optimal catalytic performance toward catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. The study provided a method for the preparation of heterostructure nanocatalysts with high efficiency, which would be effective for application in various catalytic reactions.     

Self‐Template Synthesis of Hybrid Porous Co3O4–CeO2 Hollow Polyhedrons for High‐Performance Supercapacitors

In this work, hybrid porous Co₃O₄–CeO₂ hollow polyhedrons have been successfully obtained via a simple cation‐exchange route followed by heat treatment. In the synthesis process, ZIF‐67 polyhedron frameworks are firstly prepared, which not only serve as a host for the exchanged Ce3⁺ ions but also act as the template for the synthesis of hybrid porous Co₃O₄–CeO₂ hollow polyhedrons. When utilized as electrode materials for supercapacitors, the hybrid porous Co₃O₄–CeO₂ hollow polyhedrons delivered a large specific capacitance of 1288.3 F g^?1 at 2.5 A g^?1 and a remarkable long lifespan cycling stability (<3.3 % loss after 6000 cycles). Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device based on hybrid porous Co₃O₄–CeO₂ hollow polyhedrons was assembled. The ASC device possesses an energy density of 54.9 W h kg^?1, which can be retained to 44.2 W h kg^?1 even at a power density of 5100 W kg^?1, indicating its promising application in electrochemical energy storage. More importantly, we believe that the present route is a simple and versatile strategy for the preparation of other hybrid metal oxides with desired structures, chemical compositions and applications.     

硫中毒对Co3O4/CeO2复合氧化物上炭黑催化燃烧的影响

采用共沉淀法制备了CeO₂,Co₃O₄和一系列Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物催化剂,在400 ℃下含SO₂的氧化气氛中对催化剂进行了硫中毒处理,通过原位红外光谱、X射线衍射、程序升温脱附和X射线光电子能谱对新鲜和硫中毒的样品进行了表征. 结果表明,所有测试的硫中毒样品上均形成了硫酸盐,CeO₂上累积的硫酸盐明显比Co₃O₄上的多,Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物在硫中毒过程中形成了硫酸钴和硫酸铈. 对新鲜和硫化样品在NO/O₂气氛下进行了催化炭黑燃烧实验,发现Co₃O₄/CeO₂复合氧化物的活性和抗硫性能优于CeO₂,但抗硫性能低于Co₃O₄.     

Fabrication and characterization of double‐shelled CeO2‐La2O3/Au/Fe3O4 hollow architecture as a recyclable and highly thermal stability nanocatalyst

A novel magnetic binary‐metal‐oxide‐coated nanocataly composing of a hollow Fe₃O₄ core and CeO₂‐La₂O₃ shells with Au nanoparticles encapsulated has been created in this work. The structural features of catalysts were characterized by several techniques, including SEM, TEM, UV‐vis, FTIR, XRD, XPS and TGA analyses. After the coating of CeO₂‐La₂O₃ layer, CeO₂‐La₂O₃/Au/C/Fe₃O₄ microspheres showed a superior thermal stability and catalytic reactivity compared with a pure CeO₂ or La₂O₃ layer. Accompanied by the burning of carbon layer, the specific surface could be increased by the formation of double‐shelled structure. Besides, the desired samples could be separated by magnet, implying the superior recycle performance. Using the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol by NaBH₄ as a model reaction, the microspheres exhibited highly reusability, superior catalytic activity, thermal stability, which are attributed to the unique double‐shelled structure of the support, uniform distribution of Au nanoparticles, the highly thermal stability of CeO₂‐La₂O₃ layer and mixed oxide synergistic effect. As a consequence, the unique nanocatalyst will open a promising way in the fabrication of the double‐shelled hollow binary‐metal‐oxide materials for future research and has great potential in other applications.     

Preparation of Magnetically Recyclable Yolk/Shell FexOy/PdPt@CeO2 Nanoreactors with Enhanced Catalytic Activity

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) have recently received considerable attention from researchers working in the field of catalysis. However, the development of new methods allowing these materials to reach their maximum catalytic properties remains challenging. Nanoreactors could lead to dramatic improvements in activity with the help of the intrinsic confinement effect. In this study, we designed a series of yolk/shell Fe_xO_y/PdPt@CeO₂ composites, where the Fe_xO_y NPs acted as a movable core, allowing for the uniform distribution of the PdPt alloys on the inner surface of the CeO₂ shell. The high porosity and existence of hollow voids in the CeO₂ shell allowed these Fe_xO_y/PdPt@CeO₂ composites to be used as nanoreactors in catalytic reactions. As well this confinement effect, we identified two structural features that led to enhanced catalytic activity, including (i) the replacement of monometallic NPs with a bimetallic PdPt alloy and (ii) the replacement of a chemically inert support with a reactive CeO₂ shell. The resulting nanoassembled catalysts displayed higher activities toward the catalytic reduction of dyes than the reference samples. Moreover, these catalysts were readily recovered and reused because of the magnetic Fe_xO_y core.     

Ultrathin Co3O4 Layers Realizing Optimized CO2 Electroreduction to Formate

Electroreduction of CO₂ into hydrocarbons could contribute to alleviating energy crisis and global warming. However, conventional electrocatalysts usually suffer from low energetic efficiency and poor durability. Herein, atomic layers for transition‐metal oxides are proposed to address these problems through offering an ultralarge fraction of active sites, high electronic conductivity, and superior structural stability. As a prototype, 1.72 and 3.51 nm thick Co₃O₄ layers were synthesized through a fast‐heating strategy. The atomic thickness endowed Co₃O₄ with abundant active sites, ensuring a large CO₂ adsorption amount. The increased and more dispersed charge density near Fermi level allowed for enhanced electronic conductivity. The 1.72 nm thick Co₃O₄ layers showed over 1.5 and 20 times higher electrocatalytic activity than 3.51 nm thick Co₃O₄ layers and bulk counterpart, respectively. Also, 1.72 nm thick Co₃O₄ layers showed formate Faradaic efficiency of over 60 % in 20 h.