A new synthesis method for supported composite oxides: preparation of Ce‐Cu/TiO2 catalysts by ice‐melting method

Abstract In SCR denitrification technology, the conventional coprecipitation method has the disadvantages of high temperature and difficulty in controlling the precipitation rate. Various Ce x CuTiO 2 catalysts were synthesized using ice‐melting (Ce x CuTi‐Ice) and conventional coprecipitation (Ce x CuTi‐Con) methods for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH 3 . Ce 0.4 CuTi‐Ice catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity among the Ce x CuTiO 2 catalysts, and 80% NO x conversion was achieved within a temperature range of 250–375 °C, exceeding that of Ce 0.4 CuTi‐Con catalyst by 20%; in addition, N 2 selectivity was nearly 100%. To elucidate the release characteristics of the precursor solution during ice‐melting synthesis, the changes of Cu and Ce concentrations in the solution were investigated by ICP‐OES. The precursor solution was released at a slow rate via the ice‐melting method, resulting in a large surface area, small crystallite sizes, and effective uniform nanoparticles with abundant active species and increased surface acidity. The promoted mechanism could be attributed to the enhanced oxidation of NO to NO 2 at low temperatures and the rapid reaction between NO species and coordinated NH 3 at high temperatures. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).