Effect of Fe2O3 precursors on physicochemical and catalytic properties of CuO/Fe2O3 system

CuO/Fe2O3 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and calcined at 400 °C. The effect of changing the precursors of Fe2O3 and CuO loading on thermal, crystal, surface, spectral and catalytic properties of the catalysts were characterized by TG/DTG/DTA, XRD, N2-adsorption at −196 °C, FT-IR and the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 at 30 °C. The results obtained revealed that the investigated catalysts consisted of nanosized Fe2O3 as a major phase besides CuFe2O4 phase. The precursor of Fe2O3 (nitrate or sulfate) affects the thermal properties of CuO/Fe2O3 system. The SBET of CuO/Fe2O3 system calcined at 400 °C increases with using nitrate precursor of Fe2O3. The catalytic activity of H2O2 decomposition on all CuFeOn catalysts (nitrate precursor) is higher than that of CuFeOs catalysts (sulfate precursor).