A series of CuO/Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) catalysts with Cu loadings varying from 1.0 to 20 wt % were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO(2) and NH(3), electron spin resonance (ESR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements. The dispersion and metal area of copper were determined by the N(2)O decomposition method. XRD results suggest that the copper oxide is present in a highly dispersed amorphous state at copper loadings < 10 wt % and as a crystalline CuO phase at higher Cu loadings. ESR results suggest the presence of two types of copper species on the Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) support. TPR results suggest well-dispersed copper oxide species at low Cu loadings and crystalline copper oxide species at high Cu loadings. Well-dispersed copper oxide species were reduced more easily than large copper oxide species by H(2). The results of CO(2) TPD suggest that the basicity of the catalysts was found to increase with an increase of copper loading up to 5.0 wt % and decreases with a further increase of copper loading. The results of NH(3) TPD suggest that the acidity of the catalysts was found to decrease with an increase of copper loading up to 5.0 wt % and increases with a further increase of copper loading. The catalytic properties were evaluated for the vapor-phase dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone and correlated with the results of CO(2) TPD measurements and the dispersion of Cu on the Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2) support.

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