Insights into the Performance of Bimetallic Ru-Co/TiO2 Catalysts Carrying out a Low Temperature C3H8 Oxidation Reaction

The performance of a set of bimetallic Ru-Co catalysts dispersed on the TiO2 anatase phase, synthesized by the co-deposition–precipitation with urea method, was tested in the CO2 production by the entire oxidation of C3H8. The presence of properly dispersed ruthenium nanoparticles on a Co/TiO2-anatase support was notably favorable for enhancing the C3H8 activity/selectivity. Likewise, an increase in the combined acidity (Brönsted and Lewis) was also observed, and the interaction between Ru0-CoOx species stabilized on TiO2 prompted the C3H8 oxidation at low temperature. The performance of bimetallic Ru-Co/TiO2 catalysts was enhanced by increasing Ru0 species and loading, showing more efficient C3H8 oxidation by the combination of Ru0-CoOx, as revealed by DRIFTS, XPS, H2-TPR, and HAADF-STEM characterization outcomes. The higher acidity of the catalysts containing Ru (1.5 wt