Inherent Redox Activity of Titania Support Enhances Catalytic Activity of Highly Dispersed Cu Catalyst

Abstract

Modifying active species loading, particle size, and distribution on a support is an effective method for tuning catalyst activity. In this work, a copper catalyst anchored on titania was synthesized using the deposition-precipitation method at low weight % in order to obtain a highly dispersed catalyst (1-Cu/ TiO 2 ). The interactions between the copper and TiO 2 support contribute to the physical and chemical properties of the catalyst. Transmission electron micrographs indicate copper nanoparticles with ∼ 2 nm diameter with a fairly uniform distribution across the TiO 2 particles. This synthetic approach yields a catalyst that is more active than similar precious metal catalysts, and therefore is a possible approach for creating highly efficient catalysts from economic materials.