Metal–organic framework MIL-53(Al)-supported copper catalyst for CO catalytic oxidation reaction

•Metal–Organic Framework MIL-53(Al) with high stability has been synthesized by a simple route with a mixed solvent.•Cu/MIL-53(Al) catalyst has been first demonstrated to be catalyst for CO oxidation.•Present the catalytic mechanism of CO oxidation on Cu/MIL-53(Al)

Metal–organic framework (MOF) material MIL-53(Al) (MIL: Materials of Institut Lavoisier) with high thermal stability has been prepared by solvothermal method, serving as a support material of copper catalyst for CO oxidation. A comparison between the catalytic performance of the MIL-53(Al) and the Al2O3 support material was carried out to understand the catalytic behavior of the catalysts. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC), N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TG and N2 adsorption–desorption analyses showed that MIL-53(Al) had excellent stability and high surface areas. The highly dispersed CuO nanoparticles, which resulted from the three dimension porous structure of MIL-53(Al), give rise to a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation. Indeed, the heterogeneous catalytic composite materials Cu/MIL-53(Al) catalyst exhibited much higher activity than the Cu/Al2O3 catalyst in CO oxidation test, with 100% conversion at 220 °C. The catalytic activity and structure of Cu/MIL-53(Al) catalyst were stable during the reaction.

Graphical abstractThe highly dispersed CuO nanoparticles, which resulted from the three dimension porous structure of MIL-53(Al), give rise to a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide