Oxidation of ethanol over Mn–Ce–O and Mn–Ce–Zr–O complex compounds synthesized by sol–gel method

The complete oxidation of ethanol was studied over Mn0.1Ce0.9Ox and Mn0.1Ce0.6Zr0.3Ox complex compounds prepared by sol–gel method. Samples were characterized by XRD, BET, EPR and XPS techniques. For fresh samples, the ethanol complete oxidation is easier over Mn0.1Ce0.9Ox than Mn0.1Ce0.6Zr0.3Ox, whereas the order is reversed for aged samples. The stabilizing effect of Zr on Mn–Ce–O is confirmed by BET and XRD. Further, the relationship between catalyst structure and its activity for ethanol total oxidation is investigated by EPR and XPS.