iScience (Nov 2019)

Template-free Synthesis of Stable Cobalt Manganese Spinel Hollow Nanostructured Catalysts for Highly Water-Resistant CO Oxidation

  • Zehai Xu,
  • Yufan Zhang,
  • Xiong Li,
  • Lei Qin,
  • Qin Meng,
  • Guoliang Zhang,
  • Zheng Fan,
  • Zhen Xue,
  • Xinwen Guo,
  • Qinglin Liu,
  • Qingbiao Li,
  • Baohua Mao,
  • Zhi Liu

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21
pp. 19 – 30

Abstract

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Summary: Development of spinel oxides as low-cost and high-efficiency catalysts is highly desirable; however, rational synthesis of efficient and stable spinel systems with precisely controlled structure and components remains challenging. We demonstrate the design of complex nanostructured cobalt-based bimetallic spinel catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation by a simple template-free method. The self-assembled multi-shelled mesoporous spinel nanostructures provide high surface area (203.5 m2/g) and favorable unique surface chemistry for producing abundant active sites and lead to the creation of robust microsphere configured by 16-nm spinel nanosheets, which achieve satisfactory water-resisting property and catalytic activity. Theoretical models show that O vacancies at exposed {110} facets in cubic spinel phase guarantee the strong adsorption of reactive oxygen species on the surface of catalysts and play a key role in the prevention of deactivation under moisture-rich conditions. The design concept with architecture and composition control can be extended to other mixed transition metal oxide compositions. : Chemistry; Catalysis; Environmental Nanotechnology Subject Areas: Chemistry, Catalysis, Environmental Nanotechnology