Ce-Pr Co-doped Co3O4 with Enriched Oxygen Vacancies for the Efficient Decomposition of N2O

Graphical Ce-Pr co-doped Co 3 O 4 achieved 100% N 2 O conversion at 400 °C over Pr 0.02 Ce 0.2 Co 1 . The introduction of Ce facilitated the formation of oxygen vacancies, which were essential for N 2 O activation. But these Ce species strictly inhibited Co 3 O 4 crystallization and surface exposure, which were unfavorable to N 2 O decomposition. By the codoping of Pr, these negative effects were eliminated, leading to remarkable catalytic performance. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) has gained increasing attention as a non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas, and catalytic decomposition is an effective method for mitigating its emissions. In this study, Ce-Pr Co-doped Co 3 O 4 was synthesized via a coprecipitation method and used for the catalytic decomposition of N 2 O. The experimental results revealed that the N 2 O decomposition achieved 100% conversion at 400 °C on the catalyst with a Pr/Ce/Co molar ratio of 0.02:0.2:1, exhibiting an 80 °C decrease of T 100 compared with that of Co 3 O 4 . The introduction of Ce reduced the size and crystallization of Co 3 O 4 particles, increased the activity of the lattice oxygen of Co 3 O 4 , and facilitated the formation of oxygen vacancies, thereby enhancing the activation of N 2 O. However, the introduction of Ce inhibited the crystallization of Co 3 O 4 and the surface coverage of CeO 2 decreased the exposure degree of N 2 O molecules to the Co 3 O 4 surface. Co-doping strategy of Ce-Pr was performed to alleviate the negative effects of ceria. Consequently, the incorporation of Ce and Pr species enhanced the redox properties of Co 3 O 4 , leading to remarkable catalytic performance of N 2 O decomposition. This study elucidated the interaction between Ce and Pr dopants and Co 3 O 4 , and encouraged more attention on designing novel catalysts for N 2 O mitigation.