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Lowering the Cu-O bond energy in CuO nanocatalysts enhances the efficiency of NH3 oxidation

Author

Listed:
  • Lu Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Torrington Place
    University of Cambridge)

  • Xuze Guan

    (Torrington Place)

  • Zhangyi Yao

    (Torrington Place)

  • Shusaku Hayama

    (Chilton)

  • Matthijs A. van Spronsen

    (Chilton)

  • Burcu Karagoz

    (Chilton)

  • Georg Held

    (Chilton)

  • David G. Hopkinson

    (Diamond Light Source Ltd.)

  • Christopher S. Allen

    (Diamond Light Source Ltd.
    University of Oxford)

  • June Callison

    (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)

  • Paul J. Dyson

    (École Polytechnique Fedérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Feng Ryan Wang

    (Torrington Place)

Abstract

Tuning the electronic properties of nanocatalysts via doping with monodispersed hetero-metal atoms is an effective method used to enhance catalytic properties. Doping CuO nanoparticles with monodispersed Co atoms using different reductants affords catalysts (CoBCu/Al2O3 and CoHCu/Al2O3) with strikingly different electronic structures. Compared to CoHCu/Al2O3, the CuO nanoparticles in CoBCu/Al2O3 have longer and weaker Cu-O bonds, with a lower 1s → 4pz antibonding transition and higher 4p → 1s bonding transition (as demonstrated from HERFD-XANES and valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy). The weaker Cu-O bonds in CoBCu/Al2O3 lead to superior redox activity of the CuO nanoparticles, evidenced from operando XAFS and in-situ near ambient pressure-near edge X-ray absorption fine structures studies. Such superior redox properties of CuO in CoBCu/Al2O3 result in a much reduced activation energy of CoBCu/Al2O3 compared to CoHCu/Al2O3 (40.0 vs. 63.5 kJ/mol), thus leading to an enhancement in catalytic performance in the selective catalytic oxidation of NH3 to N2.

Suggested Citation

  • Lu Chen & Xuze Guan & Zhangyi Yao & Shusaku Hayama & Matthijs A. van Spronsen & Burcu Karagoz & Georg Held & David G. Hopkinson & Christopher S. Allen & June Callison & Paul J. Dyson & Feng Ryan Wang, 2025. "Lowering the Cu-O bond energy in CuO nanocatalysts enhances the efficiency of NH3 oxidation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-64415-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64415-w
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