Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 3378248

Enhancing NO Reduction by CO Over NiO/CeO 2 Catalyst by Optimizing the Metal Oxide–Support Interaction

Li, Xiaodi [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Chongqing Univ. (China)]·Li, Yuejin [BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions, Iselin, NJ (United States)]·Ye, Kailong [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)]·Xie, Shaohua [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Beijing Normal University, Beijing (China)] (ORCID:0000000315507421)·Ren, Shan [Chongqing Univ. (China)]·Ma, Lu [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000196460738)·Yang, Dali [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)]·Liu, Fudong [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000187715938)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Noble metal catalysts are widely used in three-way catalysts (TWCs) due to their high efficiency, but their scarcity and high cost drive the need for effective, low-cost alternatives. Here, in this work, a series of NiO/CeO 2 catalysts were engineered by modulating the OH content and crystallite size of the CeO 2 support. This approach yielded Ni species ranging from isolated single atoms to small clusters and larger aggregates, with varied NiO/CeO 2 interaction strengths. Evaluation of their performance in NO reduction by CO, CO oxidation, and the water–gas shift reaction revealed that the NiO/CeO 2 -300 catalyst, featuring small CeO 2 crystallites and highly dispersed NiO clusters, delivered superior activity for NO reduction and CO oxidation. It was demonstrated that small NiO clusters, due to their efficient CO adsorption and activation, were more active than Ni single atoms. Furthermore, the presence of water was found to influence the catalyst stability, with NiO clusters less stable than single atoms likely due to the hydroxylation effect leading to the formation of Ni(OH) 2 . Oxygen storage capacity measurements revealed that performance was governed by a combination of CeO 2 crystallite size and the abundance of NiO/CeO 2 interfaces. These findings demonstrated that the catalytic performance of Ni/CeO 2 systems could be maximized by optimizing the Ni nanostructure and its interaction with CeO 2 support, positioning them as a promising, multifunctional nonprecious alternative for three-way catalysis application.

Explore related subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCENO reductionnickel-ceria catalystoxygen storage capacitywater-gas shift

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Li, Xiaodi [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Chongqing Univ. (China)], Li, Yuejin [BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions, Iselin, NJ (United States)], Ye, Kailong [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)], Xie, Shaohua [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Beijing Normal University, Beijing (China)] (ORCID:0000000315507421), Ren, Shan [Chongqing Univ. (China)], Ma, Lu [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)] (ORCID:0000000196460738), Yang, Dali [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)], Liu, Fudong [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000187715938). 2026-06-29. Enhancing NO Reduction by CO Over NiO/CeO 2 Catalyst by Optimizing the Metal Oxide–Support Interaction. https://doi.org/10.1002/cnma.202500799

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

Discover connections

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE subject

Connections use source metadata and explicit phrase matches, not verified experimental comparisons.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Reconstruction and Dissolution of Copper Catalysts during Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction

Copper-based electrocatalysts are widely explored for electrochemical nitrate remediation, yet their stability under operating conditions remains poorly understood. While nanoscale and subnanoscale Cu motifs are known to restructure during the nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 RR), how these transformations translate into irreversible material loss remains unclear. Here, we quantify Cu dissolution during NO 3 RR as a function of catalyst architecture and electrolyte chemistry using two model systems: single-atom Cu (Cu 1 ) and Cu nanoparticles (Cu NP ). Time-resolved leaching measurements, integrated with in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), reveal measurable Cu loss for both catalysts during NO 3 RR. Dissolution is concentrated at the initiation of electrolysis, coinciding with rapid restructuring, and depends strongly on morphology, with Cu NP consistently exhibiting greater Cu loss than Cu 1 . In situ XAS reveals that Cu 1 forms transient metallic clusters under reduction that largely redisperse upon returning to open-circuit voltage, whereas Cu NP undergoes reduction of an oxidized surface layer accompanied by sustained Cu loss during electrolysis. Notably, the presence of nitrate significantly intensifies restructuring and Cu loss, highlighting the critical role of electrolyte composition. Furthermore, these findings establish a direct link between electrochemical restructuring and Cu dissolution, unveiling electrolyte-dependent interactions as key determinants of catalyst durability in electrochemical nitrate conversion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Review of Carbon Support Coordination Environments for Single Metal Atom Electrocatalysts (SACS)

This topical review focuses on the distinct role of carbon support coordination environment of single-atom catalysts (SACs) for electrocatalysis. The article begins with an overview of atomic coordination configurations in SACs, including a discussion of the advanced characterization techniques and simulation used for understanding the active sites. A summary of key electrocatalysis applications is then provided. These processes are oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). The review then shifts to modulation of the metal atom-carbon coordination environments, focusing on nitrogen and other non-metal coordination through modulation at the first coordination shell and modulation in the second and higher coordination shells. Representative case studies are provided, starting with the classic four-nitrogen-coordinated single metal atom (M$-$N 4 ) based SACs. Bimetallic coordination models including homo-paired and hetero-paired active sites are also discussed, being categorized as emerging approaches. The theme of the discussions is the correlation between synthesis methods for selective doping, the carbon structure–electron configuration changes associated with the doping, the analytical techniques used to ascertain these changes, and the resultant electrocatalysis performance. In conclusion, critical unanswered questions as well as promising underexplored research directions are identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗