Structure Sensitivity of CO Oxidation on Co3O4: A DFT Study

The reaction mechanism of CO oxidation on the Co₃O₄ (110) and Co₃O₄ (111) surfaces is investigated by means of spin‐polarized density functional theory (DFT) within the GGA+U framework. Adsorption situation and complete reaction cycles for CO oxidation are clarified. The results indicate that 1) the U value can affect the calculated energetic result significantly, not only the absolute adsorption energy but also the trend in adsorption energy; 2) CO can directly react with surface lattice oxygen atoms (O_2f/O_3f) to form CO₂ via the Mars–van Krevelen reaction mechanism on both (110)‐B and (111)‐B; 3) pre‐adsorbed molecular O₂ can enhance CO oxidation through the channel in which it directly reacts with molecular CO to form CO₂ [O₂(a)+CO(g)→CO₂(g)+O(a)] on (110)‐A/(111)‐A; 4) CO oxidation is a structure‐sensitive reaction, and the activation energy of CO oxidation follows the order of Co₃O₄ (111)‐A(0.78 eV)>Co₃O₄ (111)‐B (0.68 eV)>Co₃O₄ (110)‐A (0.51 eV)>Co₃O₄ (110)‐B (0.41 eV), that is, the (110) surface shows higher reactivity for CO oxidation than the (111) surface; 5) in addition to the O_2f, it was also found that Co³⁺ is more active than Co²⁺, so both O_2f and Co³⁺ control the catalytic activity of CO oxidation on Co₃O₄, as opposed to a previous DFT study which concluded that either Co³⁺ or O_2f is the active site.     

Atomic‐Scale Insights into Surface Lattice Oxygen Activation at the Spinel/Perovskite interface of Co3O4/La0.3Sr0.7CoO3

Surface lattice oxygen in transition‐metal oxides plays a vital role in catalytic processes. Mastering activation of surface lattice oxygen and identifying the activation mechanism are crucial for the development and design of advanced catalysts. A strategy is now developed to create a spinel Co₃O₄ /perovskite La_0.3Sr_0.7CoO₃ interface by in situ reconstruction of the surface Sr enrichment region in perovskite LSC to activate surface lattice oxygen. XAS and XPS confirm that the regulated chemical interface optimizes the hybridized orbital between Co 3d and O 2p and triggers more electrons in oxygen site of LSC transferred into lattice of Co₃O₄ , leading to more inactive O^2? transformed into active O^2?x. Furthermore, the activated Co₃O₄/LSC exhibits the best catalytic activities for CO oxidation, oxygen evolution, and oxygen reduction. This work would provide a fundamental understanding to explain the activation mechanism of surface oxygen sites.     

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.     

Studies on the Surface Oxygen Species and the Catalytic Activity for CO Oxidation of La1-xSrxCo1-xMnxO3, a Perovskite-Type Oxides Catalyst

The surface oxygen distribution the active oxygen species for CO on the perovskite-type catalyst La_1-xSr_xCo_1-xMn_xO₃ and its catalytic oxidation activity with CO as probe were investigated by means of XRD, TPD and XPS in a continuous flow microreactor. Results showed that different adsorbed oxygen species and lattice oxygen were distributed on the catalyst surface. Meanwhile, the surface lattice oxygen of the oxides was reacting in the course of CO oxidation. This leads to the conclusion that, when x=0.6, the catalyst shows the best oxidative activity and lower starting temperature.     

Dual-template synthesis of defect-rich mesoporous Co3O4 for low temperature CO oxidation

CO oxidation is a benchmark in heterogeneous catalysis for evaluation of redox catalysts due to its practical relevance in many applications and the fundamental problems associated with its very high activity at low temperatures. Among which, Co₃O₄ is one of the most active non-precious metal catalysts. Exposed crystal planes and cobalt sites are considered to be important for its high catalytic activity. Herein, we demonstrate an enhanced CO oxidation activity by a defect-rich mesoporous Co₃O₄ that prepared by a designed dual-template method. Two different kinds of silicas are used as hard-templates at the same time, resulting in a defect-rich mesoporous Co₃O₄ with a surface area as high as 169 m²/g. This catalyst exhibited a very high catalytic activity for low temperature CO oxidation with a light-off temperature at −73 ^oC under the space velocity of 80,000 mL h^-1 g_cat^-1. Further studies reveal that the high surface area promotes the lattice oxygen mobility, surface rich of Co²⁺ species and active oxygen species are crucial for the high catalytic activity. Moreover, the dual-template approach paves a way towards the design and construction of high-surface-area mesoporous metal oxides for various applications.     

焙烧与预处理条件对 Co3O4 催化氧化 CO 性能的影响

采用沉淀法制备了 Co₃O₄, 考察了焙烧和预处理条件对其结构、低温催化氧化 CO 性能的影响. 热重分析表明, 未经焙烧的样品以 Co(OH)₂CO₃ 的形式存在, 150~400 ^oC 空气气氛中焙烧后, 样品以立方相 Co₃O₄ 的形式存在. N2 吸附-脱附法、X 射线衍射、透射电镜及活性测试结果表明, 以纳米颗粒物存在的 Co₃O₄ 的比表面积、颗粒尺寸、催化氧化 CO 活性与焙烧温度密切相关. 正电子湮没寿命谱、O₂-程序升温脱附与定温条件下 CO 氧化测试结果表明, 合适温度 (150~250 ^oC) 下 N₂ 预处理有利于 Co₃O₄ 表面氧空穴团的形成, 它在吸附活化分子氧以及 CO 催化氧化反应中起到关键作用. 同时讨论了预处理作用下Co₃O₄表面氧空穴的再构机制.     

The Solid-State-Grinding Synthesis of Maganese-Modified Cobalt Oxides and Application in the Low-Temperature CO Preferential Oxidation in H<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Rich Gases

A series of MnOx modified cobalt oxides with different atomic molar ratios of Mn/(Mn?+?Co) were prepared by a soft reactive grinding route and investigated for CO preferential oxidation in H₂. It was found that as-prepared Mn-doped cobalt oxides exhibited superior activity compared to the single constituted oxides, other Mn–Co–O mixed oxides synthesized by solution-based route, and other grinding-derived mixed metal oxides M–Co–O (M?=?Zn, Ni, Cu, Fe). The grinding-derived MnCo10 catalyst with Mn/(Mn?+?Co) molar ration of 10% showed the best CO oxidation activity and higher selectivity at low temperature. The surface richness of Co³⁺ was not found as increasing the Mn molar ratio in the present work. However, the incoporation of MnOx with proper amount into Co₃O₄ could produce high surface area, high structure defects, and rich surface active oxygen species, while the ability to supply the active oxygen species was suggested to play the crucial role in promoting the catalytic performance of Mn–Co–O mixed oxides.     

Plasma‐Engraved Co3O4 Nanosheets with Oxygen Vacancies and High Surface Area for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Co₃O₄, which is of mixed valences Co²⁺ and Co³⁺, has been extensively investigated as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The proper control of Co²⁺/Co³⁺ ratio in Co₃O₄ could lead to modifications on its electronic and thus catalytic properties. Herein, we designed an efficient Co₃O₄‐based OER electrocatalyst by a plasma‐engraving strategy, which not only produced higher surface area, but also generated oxygen vacancies on Co₃O₄ surface with more Co²⁺ formed. The increased surface area ensures the Co₃O₄ has more sites for OER, and generated oxygen vacancies on Co₃O₄ surface improve the electronic conductivity and create more active defects for OER. Compared to pristine Co₃O₄, the engraved Co₃O₄ exhibits a much higher current density and a lower onset potential. The specific activity of the plasma‐engraved Co₃O₄ nanosheets (0.055 mA cm^?2_BET at 1.6 V) is 10 times higher than that of pristine Co₃O₄, which is contributed by the surface oxygen vacancies.     

Geometrical Structure of the Gold–Iron(III) Oxide Interfacial Perimeter for CO Oxidation

The geometrical structure of the Au‐Fe₂O₃ interfacial perimeter, which is generally considered as the active sites for low‐temperature oxidation of CO, was examined. It was found that the activity of the Au/Fe₂O₃ catalysts not only depends on the number of the gold atoms at the interfacial perimeter but also strongly depends on the geometrical structure of these gold atoms, which is determined by the size of the gold particle. Aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy images unambiguously suggested that the gold particles, transformed from a two‐dimensional flat shape to a well‐faceted truncated octahedron when the size slightly enlarged from 2.2 to 3.5 nm. Such a size‐induced shape evolution altered the chemical bonding environments of the gold atoms at the interfacial perimeters and consequently their catalytic activity. For Au particles with a mean size of 2.2 nm, the interfacial perimeter gold atoms possessed a higher degree of unsaturated coordination environment while for Au particles with a mean size of 3.5 nm the perimeter gold atoms mainly followed the atomic arrangements of Au {111} and {100} facets. Kinetic study, with respect to the reaction rate and the turnover frequency on the interfacial perimeter gold atom, found that the low‐coordinated perimeter gold atoms were intrinsically more active for CO oxidation. ¹⁸O isotopic titration and Infrared spectroscopy experiments verified that CO oxidation at room temperature occurred at the Au‐Fe₂O₃ interfacial perimeter, involving the participation of the lattice oxygen of Fe₂O₃ for activating O₂ and the gold atoms for CO adsorption and activation.     

Mesoporous Mn promoted Co3O4 oxides as an efficient and stable catalyst for low temperature oxidation of CO

Mesoporous Mn-doped Co₃O₄ catalysts were successfully prepared via a dry soft reactive grinding method based on solid state reaction, and their catalytic performances on CO oxidation were evaluated at a high space velocity of 49,500 mL g⁻¹ h⁻¹. A significant promoted effect was observed once the atomic ratios of Mn/(Co+Mn) were lower than 10%, for instance, the temperature for 50% conversion decreased to about −60 °C, showing superior catalytic performance compared to the single metal oxide. Especially, the Mn-promoted Co₃O₄ catalyst with a Mn/(Co+Mn) molar ratio of 10% could convert 100% CO after 3000 min of time-on-steam without any deactivation at room temperature. As prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, N₂-adsorption/desorption, TEM, H₂-TPR, O₂-TPD and CO-titration analysis. The significant enhancement of performance for oxidation of CO over Mn-Co-O mixed oxides was associated with the high active oxygen species concentrations formed during the pretreatment in O₂ atmosphere.     

Effects of Ethanol Impregnation on the Catalytic Properties of Silica-Supported Cobalt Catalysts

Silca-supported Co₃O₄ (6 wt% as Co) catalysts were prepared by pore volume impregnation of ethanol or aqueous cobalt nitrate solutions, and calcined in vacuo to 300 °C. The catalytic performances of these catalysts for oxidation and hydrogenation of CO were examined. All Co₃O₄/SiO₂ catalysts were found to be very active in catalyzing oxidation of CO to CO₂ as compared to a commercial 1 wt% Pt/Al₂O₃. The ethanol-prepared catalysts exhibited higher activity than those of the aqua-prepared catalysts. Pre-calcination of the ethanol-prepared catalysts in oxygen at 600 °C resulted in a dramatic decrease in the activity. Temperature programmed oxidation indicated the presence of carbon deposits on the surface of used catalysts. Infrared spectra showed the continuous generation of CO₂ when these catalysts were exposed to CO. These indicate the primary role of CO disproportionation in catalytic oxidation of CO on Co₃O₄ at low temperature and explain the sharp decrease in activity in the initial period. After reduction at 400 °C, the ethanol-prepared catalysts were also found to be more active in catalyzing hydrogenation of CO, and produced less methane and olefin (C2-C4) fraction. Higher turnover frequencies were observed after high temperature reduction (600 °C) as well, at which ethoxyl groups were removed from silica surface. In both reactions, the enhanced activity for the ethanol-prepared catalysts can not be fully accounted for by the increase in the dispersion of Co₃O₄ or CO metal. This suggests that the surface structures of Co₃O₄ or CO were further modified by the carbonaceous species derived from ethanol.     

Optimal Geometrical Configuration of Cobalt Cations in Spinel Oxides to Promote Oxygen Evolution Reaction

MgCo₂O₄, CoCr₂O₄, and Co₂TiO₄ were selected, where only Co³⁺ in the center of octahedron (Oh), Co²⁺ in the center of tetrahedron (Td), and Co²⁺ in the center of Oh, can be active sites for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Co³⁺(Oh) sites are the best geometrical configuration for OER. Co²⁺(Oh) sites exhibit better activity than Co²⁺(Td). Calculations demonstrate the conversion of O* into OOH* is the rate‐determining step for Co³⁺(Oh) and Co²⁺(Td). For Co²⁺(Oh), it is thermodynamically favorable for the formation of OOH* but difficult for the desorption of O₂. Co³⁺(Oh) needs to increase the lowest Gibbs free energy over Co²⁺(Oh) and Co²⁺(Td), which contributes to the best activity. The coexistence of Co³⁺(Oh) and Co²⁺(Td) in Co₃O₄ can promote the formation of OOH* and decrease the free‐energy barrier. This work screens out the optimal geometrical configuration of cobalt cations for OER and gives a valuable principle to design efficient electrocatalysts.     

Catalytic activity of bimetal-containing Co,Pd systems in the oxidation of carbon monoxide

The catalytic activity of low-percentage Co,Pd systems on ZSM-5, ERI, SiO₂, and Al₂O₃ supports in the oxidation of CO was studied. The activity of bimetal-containing catalysts was shown to depend on the nature of the catalyst and the amount and ratio of their active components. According to the results of thermoprogrammed reduction with H₂ (H₂ TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data, the metals are distributed as isolated cations or Co^δ+-O-Pd^δ+ clusters with cobalt and palladium cations surrounded by off-lattice oxygen in Co,Pd systems. The 0.8% Co,0.5% Pd-ZSM-5 bimetal catalysts were found to be more active due to the presence of clusters.     

Mass‐Production of Mesoporous MnCo2O4 Spinels with Manganese(IV)‐ and Cobalt(II)‐Rich Surfaces for Superior Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis

A mesoporous MnCo₂O₄ electrode material is made for bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis. The MnCo₂O₄ exhibits both Co₃O₄‐like activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and Mn₂O₃‐like performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The potential difference between the ORR and OER of MnCo₂O₄ is as low as 0.83 V. By XANES and XPS investigation, the notable activity results from the preferred Mn^IV‐ and Co^II‐rich surface. The electrode material can be obtained on large‐scale with the precise chemical control of the components at relatively low temperature. The surface state engineering may open a new avenue to optimize the electrocatalysis performance of electrode materials. The prominent bifunctional activity shows that MnCo₂O₄ could be used in metal–air batteries and/or other energy devices.     

Improved chemical water oxidation with Zn in the tetrahedral site of spinel-type ZnCo2O4 nanostructure

Spinel oxides with the composition of A^IIB^III₂O₄ (A and B are metal ions) represent an important class of anode material for water splitting to replace the currently used noble-metal catalysts. Although spinel electrocatalysts have widely been investigated for electrochemical water oxidation, the role of octahedral and tetrahedral sites influencing catalytic performance has been a topic of discussion for a long time and still under debate. Lately, this issue has been addressed by substituting redox-inert cation to the tetrahedral sites of cobalt spinels and comparing the electrochemical activity between them. However, rapid surface structural transformation of the catalysts under operating electrochemical conditions makes it difficult to infer the exact contribution of tetrahedral and octahedral sites for water oxidation. Herein, for the first time, we utilize the oxidant-driven water oxidation approach to reveal the responsible active sites using two spinel-type nanostructures, Zn^IICo₂^IIIO₄ and Co^IICo₂^IIIO₄ (Co₃O₄), synthesized by using a single-source precursor approach. Strikingly, a superior O₂ production rate (0.98 mmol_O2 mol_Co^?1 s^?1) following first-order reaction kinetics was achieved for ZnCo₂O₄ in the presence of Ce^IV as sacrificial electron acceptor compared to Co₃O₄ spinel (0.29 mmol_O2 mol_Co^?1 s^?1). The structural and morphological stability of the ZnCo₂O₄ and Co₃O₄ post water oxidation catalysis confirms that the catalytic activity is strictly controlled by the geometry and electronic structure of the active site of the spinel structure. The higher performance of ZnCo₂O₄ over Co₃O₄ further indicates that the presence of Co^II is not essential for catalytic water oxidation. The presence of redox inert Zn^II at the tetrahedral site of ZnCo₂O₄ can facilitate the stabilization of a high-valent Co^IV intermediate via oxidation of Co^III (situated at the octahedral site), and this intermediate can be regarded as the active species for water oxidation catalyst along with structural defects caused by surface Zn leaching.     

Tailoring Oxygen Vacancy on Co3O4 Nanosheets with High Surface Area for Oxygen Evolution Reaction?

Electrochemical water splitting requires efficient water oxidation catalysts to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of water oxidation reaction. Here, we designed an efficient Co₃O₄ electrocatalyst using a pyrolysis strategy for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Morphological characterization confirmed the ultra-thin structure of nanosheet. Further, the existence of oxygen vacancies was obviously evidenced by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The increased surface area of Co₃O₄ ensures more exposed sites, whereas generated oxygen vacancies on Co₃O₄ surface create more active defects. The two scenarios were beneficial for accelerating the OER across the interface between the anode and electrolyte. As expected, the optimized Co₃O₄ nanosheets can catalyze the OER efficiently with a low overpotential of 310 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm² and remarkable long-term stability in 1.0 mol/L KOH.     

高效析氧电催化剂Co3O4@NiMn-LDH异质结构阵列的制备

我们合理设计和制备了一种新型的高性能析氧电催化剂——泡沫镍负载Co_3O_4@NiMn-LDH(层状双金属氢氧化物)三维异质结构阵列(Co_3O_4@NiMn-LDH/NF)。这种基于泡沫镍基底的三维异质结构催化剂经简单的两步水热反应即可制得。对比Co_3O_4、NiMn-LDH及传统RuO2催化剂,所制备的Co_3O_4@NiMn-LDH/NF催化剂展示出更优异的电催化析氧性能。在1 mol·L~(-1)KOH溶液中,电流密度为50 mA·cm~(-2)时的过电势仅为282 mV,塔菲尔斜率为64 mV·dec~(-1)。通过有效的界面工程设计,使异质结构陈列Co_3O_4@NiMn-LDH发挥出Co_3O_4和NiMn-LDH各自优异的电催化性能。其中,基于泡沫镍基底生长的活性组分Co_3O_4纳米线阵列作为中间核支撑结构,保持了良好的空隙率,不仅有利于暴露更多的活性位点,而且有利于电解液的扩散和气体产物的释放;而依附于Co_3O_4纳米线阵列上的NiMn-LDH异质结构纳米片层则富有更多的亲水性基团,使得活性位点更易与水结合,从而促进氧析出反应的进行。     

ZnO/Co3O4 Porous Nanocomposites Derived from MOFs: Room‐Temperature Ferromagnetism and High Catalytic Oxidation of CO

ZnO/Co₃O₄ porous nanocomposites were successfully fabricated by the thermal decomposition of Prussian Blue analogue (PBA) Zn₃[Co(CN)₆]₂ nanospheres obtained at room temperature. Interestingly, ZnO/Co₃O₄ porous nanocomposites exhibit room‐temperature ferromagnetism. Moreover, the ZnO/Co₃O₄ porous nanocomposites show good catalytic activity for CO oxidation, and the CO conversion rate reaches 100 % at 250 °C. It is suggested that the synergistic effect of each component, relative high surface area (32 m² g^?1) and porous structure lead to the promising catalytic properties.     

Role of Iron Carbonyls in the Inhibition of Oxygen Activation for the Oxidation of CO Catalyzed by Iron Oxide‐Supported Gold

Iron oxide‐supported gold samples were prepared by co‐precipitation from HAuCl₄ and Fe(NO₃)₃. The activities of the samples as CO oxidation catalysts were tested without thermal treatment and following treatments in flows of He and O₂ at various temperatures. It was found that the untreated samples and those treated in a flow of He at 150 °C were more active than samples that had been treated at 400 °C in either a flow of O₂ or of He. Infrared spectra recorded during CO oxidation catalysis indicate the presence of bonded CO molecules to cationic gold on all samples, whereas spectra of the least active catalysts indicate a predominant presence of Fe²⁺ carbonyls, which were highly stable under the conditions of our experiments. Our results indicate that in the least active samples the Fe²⁺‐bound CO blocks sites that would otherwise be available for oxygen activation.     

CO oxidation with oxygen of the catalyst and gas-phase oxygen over (0.5−15)%СоО/СеО<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The CO adsorption species on Co₃O₄ and (0.5-15%)CoO/CeO₂ catalysts have been investigated by temperature-programmed desorption and IR spectroscopy. At 20°C, the largest amount of CO is adsorbed on the 5%CoO/CeO₂ sample to form, on Co_m²⁺O_n²⁺ clusters, hydrogen-containing, bidentate, and monodentate carbonate complexes, whose decomposition is accompanied by CO₂ desorption at 300 and 450°C (1.1 × 10²⁰ g^–1). The formation of the carbonates is accompanied by the formation of Co⁺ cations and Co⁰, on which carbonyls form. The latter decompose at 20, 90, and 170°C to release CO (2.7 × 10¹⁹ g^–1). Part of the carbonyls oxidizes to CO₂ upon oxygen adsorption, and the CO₂ undergoes desorption at 20°C. Adsorbed oxygen decreases the decomposition temperature of the H-containing and bidentate carbonates from 300 to 100-170°C and maintains the sample in the oxidized state, which is active in subsequent CO adsorption and oxidation. CO oxidation by oxygen of the catalyst diminishes the activity of the sample in these processes and increases the decomposition temperature of the carbonate complexes. Taking into account the properties of the adsorption complexes, we concluded that the H-containing and bidentate carbonates are involved in CO oxidation by oxygen of the catalyst at ~170°C under isothermal conditions. The rate limiting step is the decomposition of the carbonates, a process whose activation energy is 65-74 kJ/mol.