The Template‐Free Synthesis of CuO@CeO₂ Nanospheres: Facile Strategy, Structure Optimization, and Enhanced Catalytic Activity toward CO Oxidation

Abstract

The template‐free construction of hollow multiporous materials with hierarchically multiporous walls, unique morphologies, and functionalities remains a great challenge in materials science. Here, we describe a facile template‐free approach to synthesize hollow multiporous‐walled CeO 2 (HMW‐CeO 2 ) nanospheres. The HMW‐CeO 2 nanosphere possesses a hierarchically multiporous wall, with pore sizes ranging from micropores to mesopores, centered at 0.43, 4.2, and 14.3 nm. The CuO loaded HMW‐CeO 2 support (HMW‐CuO@CeO 2 ) is evaluated for its catalytic activity in a CO oxidation reaction. The HMW‐CuO@CeO 2 support exhibits a higher catalytic activity than all of the other CeO 2 catalysts. The results show a low T 100 of about 60 °C (the temperature at which 100 % CO conversion has been achieved) and high stability, with negligible decrease in the CO conversion during 12 h of reaction. Overall, it provides a simple, low‐cost and mass‐productive method for the preparation of highly active catalysts for CO oxidation.