Exploring the Effect of Co3O4 Nanocatalysts with Different Dimensional Architectures on Methane Combustion

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/cctc.201501056

We fabricated Co₃O₄ catalysts with different spatial structures, such as zero-dimensional (nanoparticles), one-dimensional (nanorods), two-dimensional (nanoplates), and three-dimensional (mesoporous and microporous) structures, for methane combustion. The Co₃O₄ catalysts with different dimensional architectures demonstrated different activities for the breaking of the C-H bond of methane. In particular, Co₃O₄ with 2 D structure gave rise to the highest activity among all the samples, in which methane could be initially ignited below 200 °C and completely converted to CO₂ at 375 °C. This activity is attributed to the collective contribution from all the exposed high-index planes of 2 D Co₃O₄ and to more surface-active species being formed on 2 D Co₃O₄. In this dimension: The effect of the structure of Co₃O₄ on methane combustion was explored, by studying Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (0 D), nanorods (1 D), nanoplates (2 D), and mesoporous and microporous structures (3 D). 2 D Co₃O₄ gave rise to the highest activity among all the samples, attributed to a collective contribution from the exposed high-index planes of 2 D Co₃O₄ and from more surface-active species formed on the 2 D Co₃O₄.