Catalytic oxidation of naphthalene over CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxide catalysts

In this study, the vapor phase catalytic oxidation of naphthalene was studied over CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxide catalysts prepared via urea hydrolysis. The Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 solid solution catalyst exhibits the highest activity for the naphthalene oxidation, and the extent of the activity is related to its degree of reducibility. Moreover, the Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 catalyst shows a high selectivity towards CO2 with no formation of by-products. Kinetic studies show that the reaction rates strongly depend on both naphthalene and oxygen concentrations. From the power law model, the reaction orders of naphthalene and oxygen were estimated to equally be ca. 0.5. The Mars–van Krevelen mechanism is in good agreement with the experimental results. The estimated activation energy of the reaction is ca. 90 kJ/mol.