Mechanism of Copper Vanadate Catalysts for Promoting CO Catalytic Oxidation Activity and SO2 Tolerance

Abstract

A series of copper vanadates were synthesized and characterized to assess their efficacy in the low-temperature catalytic oxidation of CO. Cu₃V₂O₈ was identified as the most active phase due to its unique electronic structure and highly reactive lattice oxygen─resulting from the solid electronic interactions between Cu and V within the Cu²⁺–O–V⁵⁺ asymmetric oxygen network─which offers superior catalytic performance by enhancing CO adsorption and oxidation. Additionally, the Cu₃V₂O₈ catalyst exhibited remarkable resistance to sulfur poisoning, a characteristic attributed to its unique crystal structure and electron distribution that impedes sulfate formation. This study offers valuable insights into the design of robust, sulfur-resistant catalysts for the control of industrial CO emissions.