Synthesis of porous hematite nanorods loaded with CuO nanocrystals as catalysts for CO oxidation

Porous hematite (a-Fe2O3) nanorods with the diameter of 20–10 nm and the length of 80–300 nm were synthesized by a simple surfactant-assisted method in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The α-Fe2O3 nanorods possess a mesostructure with a pore size distribution in the range of 5–12 nm and high surface area, exhibiting high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. CuO nanocrystals were loaded on the surface of porous α-Fe2O3 nanorods by a deposition-precipitation method, and the catalysts exhibited superior activity for catalytic oxidation of CO, as compared with commercial a-Fe2O3 powders supported CuO catalyst. The enhanced catalytic activity was attributed to the strong interaction between the CuO nanocrystals and the support of porous α-Fe2O3 nanorods.