Direct decomposition of NO into N2 and O2 (2NO→N2 + O2) is recognized as the “ideal” reaction for NOx removal because it needs no reductant. It was reported that the spinel Co3O4 is one of the most active single-element oxide catalysts for NO decomposition at higher reaction temperatures, however, activity remains low below 650 °C. The present study aims to investigate new promoters for Co3O4, specifically PdO vs. PtO. Interestingly, the PdO promoter effect on Co3O4 was much greater than the PtO effect, yielding a 4 times higher activity for direct NO decomposition at 650 °C. Also, Co3O4 catalysts with the PdO promoter exhibit higher selectivity to N2 compared to PtO/Co3O4 catalysts. Several characterization measurements, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2-temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and in situ FT-IR, were performed to understand the effect of PdO vs. PtO on the properties of Co3O4. Structural and surface analysis measurements show that impregnation of PdO on Co3O4 leads to a greater ease of reduction of the catalysts and an increased thermal stability of surface adsorbed NOx species, which contribute to promotion of direct NO decomposition activity. In contrast, rather than remaining solely as a surface species, PtO enters the Co3O4 structure, and it promotes neither redox properties nor NO adsorption properties of Co3O4, resulting in a diminished promotional effect compared to PdO.
Experimental setup combining in situ hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and real-time surface X-ray diffraction for characterizing atomic and electronic structure evolution during complex oxide heterostructure growth
