Investigation of CuMnOx spinel catalyst for toluene oxidation

Abstract

CuMnOx spinel catalyst, prepared by the sol-gel method, and characterized by modern techniques such as XRD, BET, H2-TPR, EPR, were used to oxide toluene in the temperature range from 150oC to 400oC . Among, the investigated catalysts as MnO2, CuO, and CuMnOx, the CuMnOx showed the highest catalytic activity. It converted 100% toluene to CO2 at 250oC in excessed oxygen conditions. The higher catalytic performance of CuMnOx than MnO2, CuO because of its higher specific surface area and its lower reduction temperature. The results also implied that the interaction between Cu and Mn could improve the reduction capacity of CuMnOx catalyst. In summary, the CuMnOx catalyst is a promising catalyst for toluene treatment.