Total Oxidation of Naphthalene with Zirconia-Supported Cobalt, Copper and Nickel Catalysts

LEGUIZAMÓN APARICIO, MARÍA; OCSACHOQUE, MARCO; GAZZOLI, DELIA; BOTTO, IRMA; LICK, ILEANA

Catalysts

MDPI

Año: 2017 vol. 7

ZrO2·nH2O (hydrogel) impregnated with transition metals (Cu, Co, and Ni) was studied inthis work as a precursor for the synthesis of CuO/ZrO2 (CuZ), CoOx/ZrO2 (CoZ), and NiO/ZrO2(NiZ) catalysts, employed in the naphthalene oxidation reaction. Fresh and catalytically usedmaterials were characterized by different physicochemical techniques, to compare the bulk andsurface behavior, with particular attention to the effect of the supported metal species? propertieson the catalytic activity. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature programmedreduction (TPR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Brunauer?Emmett?Teller (BET) surfacearea analyzer, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS UV?vis), and Raman spectroscopy, allow forestablishing structural and textural aspects of the support, as well as the surface coordination andthe accessibility of supported species. Results were in agreement with the CuZ > CoZ > NiZ sequencefor the activity in naphthalene oxidation reaction. Electronic properties, ionic sizes, oxide phasedeposition on the support surface, reducibility, metal?support interaction, and local site symmetry ofmetals seem to be decisive factors for the catalytic interaction with the gaseous phase.