Engineering the lattice oxygen reactivity and activation
of gaseous
O2 is vital for boosting methane combustion over Co3O4. Herein, zinc was inserted into the Co3O4 matrix, driven by its slightly larger cationic radius
and lower electronegativity than those of cobalt. The suitable doping
of zinc offered the optimum occupation of Zn2+ at the tetrahedral
sites, granting more active Co3+ sites. The formation of
Co–Zn–O solid solution delivered the lattice disorder
and endowed cobalt with richer electrons, which increased the oxygen
vacancy density, oxygen storage capacity, migration property of surface
lattice oxygen, and reducibility of catalysts, and tuned the surface
acid–base properties. Also, the ability to adsorb and activate
aerial O2 of catalysts was enhanced, which could realize
more effective spillover of O2 to regenerate lattice oxygen.
These entire properties allowed the redox cycles to proceed more smoothly
on the Co3+–O pair sites for Zn0.6Co2.4O4 compared to its analogues. Consequently, Zn0.6Co2.4O4 manifested more effective
methane combustion with its T
90 at 380
°C while holding outstanding long-term stability.