Porous unsupported CuO nanoplates for efficient photothermal CO oxidation

Abstract

Abstract It is a significant issue for environmental protection and industrial production to eliminate CO, a gas harmful to life and some important reaction sites. Real environmental conditions require catalytic CO oxidation to occur at relatively low temperature. Nowadays, photothermal catalysis has been exploited as a new way to achieve CO elimination, different from thermal catalysis. CuO, as cheap and abundant substitute for precious metals, is considered to have potential in photothermal catalysis. Oxygen vacancies (OV) and lattice oxygen (OL) activity are considered extremely crucial for oxide catalysts in CO oxidation, according to Mars−van Krevelen mechanism. Herein, porous CuO nanoplates with adjustable OV and OL activity were prepared by a facile method via controlling the morphology and phase composition of precursors. The light-off temperature (50% conversion) of the best sample obtained under the optimal conditions was ∼110 °C and an almost complete conversion was reached at ∼150 °C. It also achieved nearly 70% conversion under 6 standard Suns (6 kW cm−2 irradiation) and could work in infrared radiation (IR) regions, which could be attributed to the photo-induced thermal effect and activation effect. The simple synthesis and characterization provide a good example for the future photothermal catalysis.