• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1431-1437
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• 2007

Cobalt titanates($CoTiO_x$), such as $CoTiO_3$ and $Co_2TiO_4$, have been synthesized via a solid-state reaction and characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic(XPS) measurement techniques, prior to being used for continuous wet trichloroethylene(TCE) oxidation at $36^{\circ}C$, to support our earlier chemical structure model for Co species in 5 wt% $CoO_x/TiO_2$(fresh) and(spent) catalysts. Each XRD pattern for the synthesized $CoTiO_3$ and $Co_2TiO_4$ was very close to those obtained from the respective standard XRD data files. The two $CoTiO_x$ samples gave Co 2p XPS spectra consisting of very strong main peaks for Co $2p_{3/2}$ and $2p_{1/2}$ with corresponding satellite structures at higher binding energies. The Co $2p_{3/2}$ main structure appeared at 781.3 eV for the $CoTiO_3$, and it was indicated at 781.1 eV with the $Co_2TiO_4$. Not only could these binding energy values be very similar to that exhibited for the 5 wt% $CoO_x/TiO_2$(fresh), but the spin-orbit splitting(${\Delta}E$) had also no noticeable difference between the cobalt titanates and a sample of the fresh catalyst. Neither of all the $CoTiO_x$ samples were active for the wet TCE oxidation, as expected, but a sample of pure $Co_3O_4$ had a good activity for this reaction. The earlier proposed model for the surface $CoO_x$ species existing with the fresh and spent catalysts is very consistent with the XPS characterization and activity measurements for the cobalt titanates.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.933-941
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• 2008

The formation of $Co_nTiO_{n+2}$ compounds, i.e., $CoTiO_3$ and $CO_2TiO_4$, in a 5wt% $CoO_x/TiO_2$ catalyst after calcination at different temperatures has been characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements to verify our earlier model associated with $CO_3O_4$ nanoparticles present in the catalyst, and laboratory-synthesized $Co_nTiO_{n+2}$ chemicals have been employed to directly measure their activity profiles for CO oxidation at $100^{\circ}C$. SEM measurements with the synthetic $CoTiO_3$ and $CO_2TiO_4$ gave the respective tetragonal and rhombohedral morphology structures, in good agreement with the earlier XRD results. Weak Raman peaks at 239, 267 and 336 $cm^{-1}$ appeared on 5wt% $CoO_x/TiO_2$ after calcination at $570^{\circ}C$ but not on the catalyst calcined at $450^{\circ}C$, and these peaks were observed for the $Co_nTiO_{n+2}$ compounds, particularly $CoTiO_3$. All samples of the two cobalt titanate possessed O ls XPS spectra comprised of strong peaks at $530.0{\pm}0.1$ eV with a shoulder at a 532.2-eV binding energy. The O ls structure at binding energies near 530.0 eV was shown for a sample of 5 wt% $CoO_x/TiO_2$, irrespective to calcination temperature. The noticeable difference between the catalyst calcined at 450 and $570^{\circ}C$ is the 532.2 eV shoulder which was indicative of the formation of the $Co_nTiO_{n+2}$ compounds in the catalyst. No long-life activity maintenance of the synthetic $Co_nTiO_{n+2}$ compounds for CO oxidation at $100^{\circ}C$ was a good vehicle to strongly sup port the reason why the supported $CoO_x$ catalyst after calcination at $570^{\circ}C$ had been practically inactive for the oxidation reaction in our previous study; consequently, the earlier proposed model for the $CO_3O_4$ nanoparticles existing with the catalyst following calcination at different temperatures is very consistent with the characterization results and activity measurements with the cobalt titanates.