Abstract:

Mesoporous CuFe₂O₄ solid solution nanopowders with high specific surface areas were synthesized by a novel, very simple and inexpensive sol-gel route using propylene oxide as gelation agent, and used as the catalyst in low temperature CO oxidation. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction. The results revealed that the samples have a nanocrystalline structure with crystals in the range of 10 to 25 nm, and that all the catalysts have mesoporous pores. The addition of Cu into iron oxide affected its structural and catalytic properties. The sample containing 15 mol% Cu showed the highest specific surface area and catalytic activity, and showed high catalytic stability in low temperature CO oxidation.

Key words: Carbon monoxide oxidation, CuFe₂O₄ solid solution, Sol-gel, Nanopowder, Propylene oxide, Iron oxide