Physico-chemical and catalytic activity comparaison in the oxidation reactions, between two series of Ag/CeO₂ solids, prepared by two different methods : Impregnation and Deposition-precipitation
Ceria is a well known support in the world of catalytic oxidation reactions. Adding transition metals tend to enhance the catalytic activity. Silver was used in our work, and was added using two different preparation methods : the impregnation (Imp) and the deposition-precipitation (DP). The first known by the formation of different particles size on the surface of the support, whereas the second is known by the formation of nanoparticles with a good dispersion on the surface and in the bulk of the support. Two catalysts series x%Ag/CeO₂(Imp) and x%Ag/CeO₂(DP) (where x is the weight percentage of silver over ceria) were prepared in order to compare their physico-chemical properties and afterward their catalytic performances in three different oxydation reactions. The catalysts were characterized using BET, XRD, EPR, DSG-TG, XPS, UV and TPR techniques. XRD showed on both series the formation of Ag⁰ particles for the catalysts with high weight percentages. The sizes of these particles are larger in the (Imp) solids compared to the (DP) ones. Beside of these particles, the formation of Ag⁰ nanoparticles was confirmed by the plasmonic resonance in the UV technique. The nanoparticles are spherical in the (DP) solids and half spherical (misshaped) in the (Imp) solids. Three oxidation states were found in the (Imp) catalysts : Ag⁰, Ag⁺ et Ag²⁺ compared to only two in the (DP) : Ag⁰ et Ag⁺. The nitrate present in the AgNO₃ (silver precursor) during the calcination might be the reason of the formation of the Ag²⁺. That is not the case for the (DP) solids. The two isotopes for Ag²⁺ (¹⁰⁷Ag²⁺ and ¹⁰⁹Ag²⁺) were identified with the EPR technique. This result is considered as original and very important. Afterward, the catalysts were tested in the total oxidation of the propylene, carbon monoxide and carbon black. The catalytic results were unexpected and oppose the literature results. (Imp) catalysts showed a higher activity than the (DP) in all the reactions. The catalytic performance of the (Imp) was ascribed to the presence of Ag²⁺ species that are missing in the (DP) catalysts. In other words, this performance is related to the presence of the 3 redox couples Ag²⁺/ Ag⁺, Ag²⁺/ Ag⁰ et Ag⁺/ Ag⁰ for the (Imp), compared to only one : Ag⁺/ Ag⁰ for the (DP). The 10%Ag/CeO₂(Imp) solid showed an appropriate concentration ratio of the redox couples, that's why it showed the highest catalytic activity among the other solids from the same series.