Characterization and catalytic performance of copper-based WGS catalysts derived from copper ferrite

•Copper ferrite catalysts are prepared by precipitation with different precipitants.•The utilization of KOH precipitant is favorable for the formation of copper ferrite.•Reduction of copper ferrite gives rise to highly dispersed copper particles.•Strong interaction between copper and iron oxides exists in copper ferrite.•The catalyst prepared with KOH as precipitant has a good WGSR performance.

A series of copper ferrite-based catalysts were prepared by the co-precipitation method using KOH, K2CO3, Na2CO3, NaOH, and NaHCO3 as the precipitants and their physicochemical properties were investigated by N2-physisorption, SEM, XRD, FT-IR, Raman, H2-TPR, N2O decomposition, and CO2-TPD. The characterization results indicated that the utilization of KOH as precipitant was favorable for the formation of copper ferrite, which exhibited smaller crystalline and higher reducibility. The catalytic test in the water–gas shift reaction (WGSR) revealed that the sample prepared with the KOH as precipitant exhibited higher activity and thermal stability than the other samples. It was suggested that higher Cu dispersion, larger amount of surface copper atoms, weak basic sites, and strong interaction between copper and iron oxides resulting from the copper ferrite were responsible for the high catalytic performance.