Effect of thermal treatments on the catalytic behaviour in the CO preferential oxidation of a CuO-CeO2-ZrO2 catalyst with a flower-like morphology

A Ce-Zr-Cu oxide system with a flower-like morphology was prepared by a slow co-precipitation method in the absence of any structure directing agent. Four portions of the oxide were thermally treated at four different temperatures (350 degrees C, 450 degrees C, 550 degrees C, 650 degrees C). The resulting materials samples were characterized by quantitative XRD, adsorption-desorption of N-2 at-196 degrees C, SEM and TEM microscopy, -H-2-TPR, XPS and Operando-XANES. All samples were tested in the preferential CO oxidation (CO-PROX) in the 40-190 degrees C temperature range. Thermal treatments were found to induce slight structural changes without altering the starting morphology of the samples. The samples treated at higher temperature 550-650 degrees C showed a quite interesting CO-PROX activity and selectivity in a temperature range suitable for a practical use within the FEMFC technology. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.