Lanthanum cobaltite perovskite supported onto mesoporous zirconium dioxide: Nature of active sites of VOC oxidation

Novel catalytic nano-sized materials based on LaCoOx perovskite nanoparticles incapsulated in the mesoporous matrix of zirconia were prepared, characterized by physicochemical methods and tested in complete methanol oxidation. LaCoOx nanoparticles were prepared inside the mesopores of ZrO2 by decomposition of bimetallic La–Co glycine precursor complexes. The catalysts have been studied by diffuse-reflectance FTIR-spectroscopy using such probe molecules as CO, CD3CN and CDCl3 to test low-coordinated metal ions. At low temperatures of decomposition of complexes (up to 400 °C), low-coordinated Co3+ ions predominate in the LaCoOx nanoparticles, whereas basically Co2+ ions are found upon increasing the decomposition temperature to 600 °C. The novel nano-sized perovskite catalysts exhibit a very high catalytic activity in the abatement of volatile organic compounds present in air, like methanol and light hydrocarbons.