The
effectiveness of surface synergetic oxygen vacancy (SSOV) on
a catalyst has been proposed in the selective reduction of NO to N2 by CO. In this work, we prepared fresh CuMn2O4 spinel catalyst using the freeze-assisted sol–gel
method, and then engineered SSOVs through CO pretreatment (CO–CuMn2O4) at 250 °C. The catalytic performance of
the CO–CuMn2O4 catalyst showed significant
improvement, attributed to the presence of SSOVs, in comparison to
that of the fresh CuMn2O4 sample. Additionally,
our findings elucidated the limited reactivity of surface oxygen vacancies
(SOVs) on a single metal oxide, emphasizing the crucial role played
by SSOVs. Experimental results, including NO temperature-programmed
desorption-mass spectrometry and in situ diffuse
reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, provided further
insights by suggesting that SSOVs facilitate the formation of N2O and its subsequent decomposition into N2. Density
functional theory calculations have unveiled the pivotal role of SSOV
in stabilizing the nitrogen atom derived from gaseous NO, facilitating
the NO + CO → N* + CO2 reaction. Notably, the energy
barrier for this process is only 0.54 eV, which is the rate-determining
step of the NO + CO reaction. In stark contrast, this reaction scarcely
occurs on the SOVs of single CuO and Mn2O3 surfaces.
Furthermore, the presence of SSOVs considerably lowers the energy
barrier for the conversion of N2O to N2, with
a minimal barrier of 0.12 eV. In contrast, the reduction of N2O by CO without SSOV assistance necessitates a significantly
higher energy barrier of 2.77 eV. Extending our investigation, we
engineered SSOVs on the CuFe2O4 spinel catalyst
and observed similar SSOV-mediated effects in the NO + CO reaction.
Our research offers a comprehensive understanding of atomic-level
role of SSOV, thereby offering valuable insights for the design of
efficient NO + CO catalysts.