Highly efficient catalytic soot combustion performance of hierarchically meso-macroporous Co3O4/CeO2 nanosheet monolithic catalysts

•Hierarchically meso-macroporous nanostructured monolithic catalysts are constructed.•Addition of cobalt to CeO2 nanosheets enhances the redox ability of catalysts.•Co3O4/CeO2 monolithic catalysts exhibit high catalytic activity and stability.•Co-Ce interaction generates active surface adsorbed oxygen for soot combustion.