a b s t r a c tA micrometer-sized, nanostructured, flower-like Co 3 O 4 -CeO 2 composite oxide was synthesized by an ethylene-glycol-mediated process. The composite oxide was an assembly of polycrystalline nanoparticles, with a typical mesoporous structure. The composite's catalytic activity in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene degradation was evaluated using a pulsed-flow microreactor-gas chromatography system, and compared with that of quartz sand, commercial CeO 2 , commercial Co 3 O 4 , and a Co 3 O 4 /CeO 2 equimass mixture. The composite oxide was a promising catalyst for 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene degradation. This is attributed to the structural features of the composite oxide with a high specific surface area and a high total pore volume, and the synergistic effect between the two composite phases. The easy creation of high-mobility active oxygen on CeO 2 and the easy cleavage of Co O bonds at the interface of the two components promote reactivity of Co 3 O 4 in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene degradation. Pulsed catalytic theory suggests a first-order reaction between the composite oxide and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, with an apparent activation energy of about 27 kJ/mol, and degradation on the Co 3 O 4 -CeO 2 composite oxide would occur easily.

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