Low-temperature water-gas shift reaction over Cu- and Ni-loaded cerium oxide catalysts

In this paper we report on the activity of Cu- and Ni-containing cerium oxide catalysts for low-temperature water-gas shift (WGS). Bulk catalysts were prepared in nanocrystalline form by the urea co-precipitation–gelation method. Lanthanum dopant (10 at.%) was used as a structural stabilizer of ceria, while the content of Cu or Ni was in the range of 5–15 at.% (2–8 wt.%). At low metal loadings, Cu or Ni were present in the form of highly dispersed oxide clusters, while at high loadings, clusters as well as particles of CuO or NiO (>10 nm in size) were present on ceria. Both Cu and Ni increased the reducibility of ceria, as evidenced by H2-TPR experiments. The WGS reaction activity of Ce(La)Ox was increased significantly by addition of a small amount (2 wt.%) of Cu or Ni. The catalysts were not activated prior to testing. Steady-state WGS kinetics were measured over the temperature range of 175–300 and 250–300°C, respectively, for Cu- and Ni–Ce(La)Ox. The activation energy of the reaction over Ce(La)Ox was 58.5 kJ/mol, while it was 38.2 and 30.4 kJ/mol, respectively, over the 5 at.% Ni–Ce(La)Ox and 5 at.% Cu–Ce(La)Ox catalysts in CO-rich conditions. A co-operative redox reaction mechanism, involving oxidation of CO adsorbed on the metal cluster by oxygen supplied to the metal interface by ceria, followed by H2O capping the oxygen vacancy on ceria, was used to fit the kinetics. Parametric studies were mainly performed with the 5 at.% Cu–(La)Ox catalyst. Notably, this material requires no activation and retains high WGS activity and stability at temperatures up to 600°C.