Effect of SnO2 on the structure and catalytic performance of Co3O4 for N2O decomposition

The scope of this study was to investigate the effect of SnO2 addition on the structure and catalytic performance of Co3O4 for N2O decomposition. SnO2-Co3O4 exhibits much better catalytic activity in the absence or presence of water vapor than Co3O4. Spectroscopic characterization of SnO2-Co3O4 showed that this solid possesses higher degree of Co dispersion, smaller Co3O4 particles and larger S-BET due to the addition of SnO2. In addition, an interaction between Sn and Co oxides formed at the SnO2/Co3O4 interface promotes the electron donation ability of Co2+ and facilitates desorption of surface oxygen species, which might be considered as an important factor that contributes to the excellent catalytic performance of SnO2-Co3O4 for N2O decomposition.