CO Oxidation on Cu/MgO-SiO2 Sol-Gel Derived Catalysts

Sol-gel Cu//MgOSiO₂ catalysts were prepared gelling tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), magnesium ethoxide and copper acetylacetonate at pH 3 and pH 9. The catalysts shown specific surface areas ca. 500 m²/g and 140 m²/g for pH 9 and pH 3 preparations respectively. Si(OH) and Si(OH)₂ hydroxy groups were observed by MAS-RMN spectroscopy in both preparations. CO₂-TPD and NH₃-TPD desorption thermograms showed that acid and basic sites were formed on the catalysts surface. It has been found that the catalysts having the highest density of basic sites were the catalysts showing the highest activity for the CO oxidation. It is proposed that the catalytic activity depends of the relative Cu⁼¹/Cu⁼² stability given by the support acidity.