The
overall objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of
morphologies (C, cubic; O, orthorhombic; and S, spherical) of ceria
in the catalytic activity for n-C7 asphaltene
thermo-oxidation. In this way, cubic (C-CeO2), orthorhombic
(O-CeO2), and spherical (S-CeO2) ceria nanoparticles
were synthesized using the hydrothermal method and doped with 1.0%
in a mass fraction of Ni and Pd oxides by incipient wetness impregnation.
The catalytic activity of the systems was evaluated through non-isothermal
and isothermal thermogravimetric analyses at different pressures.
The non-isothermal thermogravimetric results evidenced an increase
in the n-C7 asphaltene mass as the temperature
increases between 100 and 230 °C for all systems and operating
conditions. At 3.0 MPa, n-C7 asphaltene
gains 3.6, 5.8, and 3.2% for O-CeO2, C-CeO2,
and S-CeO2, respectively, while at 6.0 MPa, there is an
increase of 7.3, 10.4, and 5.9% for the same systems, respectively.
The Ni and Pd phases increase the amount of oxygen chemisorbed in
all systems in the order S-NiPdCe < O-NiPdCe < C-NiPdCe and
reduce the temperature required for the total n-C7 asphaltene decomposition at temperatures lower than 200 °C
at 6.0 MPa in the same order. Also, isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
demonstrates that the asphaltene conversion increased with ceria-based
nanocatalysts in the increasing order S-CeO2 < O-CeO2 < C-CeO2. Cubic CeO2 doped with
Ni and Pd presents the highest yield, reaching 100% conversion at
170 °C and 6.0 MPa at 60 min. The data confirm that the presence
of Ni and Pd facilitate the transference oxygen vacancies between
the bulk and surface of the nanocatalyst, and therefore, the catalytic
activity is enhanced. The catalytic activity, in turn, is improved
by the presence of {110}, {100}, and {111}, oxygen vacancies, and
Ce3+ and NiO–Ce species. This work reveals the benefits
of structured cubic ceria nanocatalysts as a promising support for
nickel- and palladium-containing materials for n-C7 asphaltene decomposition.