Synthesis of a Highly Active and Stable Pt/Co3O4 Catalyst and Its Application for the Catalytic Combustion of Toluene

Graphical A Pt/Co 3 O 4 catalyst was prepared by the galvanic displacement method, which exhibited excellent catalytic activity for toluene combustion (T 90 = 150 °C at GHSV = 60 000 mL g –1 h – 1 ) and outstanding stability reflected in a continuous 100 h on-stream toluene combustion lifetime experiment without loss in catalytic activity. Catalytic combustion has become one of the most economical, feasible and effective tools for the abatement of VOCs. However, it is difficult to prepare supported Pt catalysts possessing both excellent catalytic activity and stability by traditional preparation methods, such as incipient-wetness impregnation method and nanoparticle loading method. In this work, we prepared Pt/Co 3 O 4 catalyst with high catalytic activity and stability for the catalytic combustion of toluene by galvanic displacement method. As comparing, additional reference samples were prepared using incipient-wetness impregnation method and nanoparticle loading method, respectively. All of the samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, H 2 -TPR, O 2 -TPD and XPS techniques. The catalyst prepared by galvanic displacement method exhibited the best catalytic activity with the temperature of 90 % toluene conversion about 150 °C (T 90 = 150 °C) and outstanding stability reflected in a continuous 100 h on-stream toluene combustion lifetime experiment without catalytic activity decline at the GHSV = 60 000 mL g –1 h –1 compared to which prepared by traditional methods. These results are attributed to the excellent oxygen mobility, the high surface chemisorbed oxygen species concentration and the strong interaction between Pt and support Co 3 O 4 . Therefore, our work provided a universal strategy for designing high-efficiency and stable catalyst for the abatement of VOCs at low temperature.