Effect of doping rare earth oxide on performance of copper-manganese catalysts for water-gas shift reaction

Rare earth-doped copper-manganese mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation and mechanical mixing using copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, and rare-earth oxides REO (REO indicates La2O3, CeO2, Y2O3, or Pr6O11) as raw materials. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed reduction of oxidized surfaces (s-TPR), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Catalytic activities were tested for a water-gas shift reaction. Doping rare earth oxides did not alter the crystal structure of the original copper-manganese mixed oxides but changed the interplanar spacing, adsorption performance and reaction performance. Doping with La2O3 enhanced the activity and stability of Cu-Mn mixed oxides because of high copper distribution and fine reduction. Doping with CeO2 and Y2O3 also decreased the reduction temperatures of the samples to different degrees while improving the dispersion of Cu on the surface, thus, catalytic activity was better than that of undoped Cu-Mn sample. The Pr6O11-doped sample was difficult to reduce, the dispersion of surface coppers was lowered, resulting in poor activity.