Enhanced Activity and Water Resistance on CuO/SiO₂-TiO₂ Catalyst for CO Oxidation and NO Reduction by CO: The Promotion Effect of SiO₂

Non-precious metal catalysts with enhanced low-temperature activity and improved water resistance are highly demanded for emission control. CuO-based catalysts are promising alternatives to precious metal catalysts due to their acceptable activity and cost-effectiveness. However, there is an urgent need to further enhance their low-temperature activity and water resistance for industrial applications. Herein, CuO catalysts supported by various SiO2-TiO2 supports were prepared and evaluated for CO oxidation and NO reduction by CO reactions under the testing conditions with and without water. Among the studied catalysts with different SiO2 contents, CuO/5SiO2-TiO2, in which CuO was supported by SiO2-TiO2 with 5 wt.% SiO2, exhibited the best performance for CO oxidation. Compared with CuO/TiO2 and CuO/SiO2 reference catalysts, the CuO/5SiO2-TiO2 catalyst showed enhanced catalytic activity in both CO oxidation and NO reduction by CO under dry and wet conditions. Comprehensive characterizations revealed that the presence of SiO2 in TiO2 support facilitated the CuO/5SiO2-TiO2 catalyst with a high dispersion and reduced oxidation states of CuOx species. This not only improved the low-temperature reducibility but also enhanced the adsorption of reactive CO species. As a result, the CuO/5SiO2-TiO2 catalyst demonstrated superior catalytic activity. Furthermore, the inclusion of SiO2 in the catalyst inhibited H2O adsorption, contributing to the enhanced water resistance on CuO/5SiO2-TiO2 catalyst. These advantages in catalytic activity and water resistance make CuO/5SiO2-TiO2 a promising candidate for applications in emission control.