Control of copper particles deposition in mesoporous SBA-15 silica by modified CVD method

•Copper nanoparticles supported on SBA-15.•Modified OMCVD technique against incipient wetness impregnation.•Pore tuning effect on the growth and location of copper nanoparticles.•Cu particles growth and pore blocking effect decreases specific catalytic activity.

Copper supported SBA-15 catalysts were prepared by modified Organometallic Chemical Vapor Deposition (OMCVD) technique. The materials were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, XRD, TEM, UV–Vis, XPS and temperature programmed reduction. Catalytic reductions of NO with CO and with a mixture of CO and methane as well as methanol decomposition were used as catalytic tests. The modified OMCVD procedure favors the formation of very finely dispersed nanoparticles located deeply into the micropores and the small mesopores of the SBA-15 silica matrix, while larger and predominantly located on the external surface copper species are detected for the materials prepared by conventional wet impregnation procedure.

Graphical abstractCopper deposition on SBA-15 by modified OMCVD procedure results in controlled growth of finely dispersed copper particles in relatively narrow size distribution.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide