Impact of H2 Reduction on the Performance and Stability of Phenol Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO) Over Cu-Ce/AC Catalysts

In this study, we utilized the carbon precursor derived from walnut shells to synthesize a series of Ce-modified Cu-based carbon catalysts (Cu-Ce/AC) via the impregnation method. We investigated the performance and stability of Cu-Ce/AC catalysts for CWAO phenol after H-2 reduction at various temperatures. The Cu-Ce/AC-250 catalyst exhibited its highest performance at 250 degrees C, achieving complete phenol conversion. Characterization results from techniques including XRD, BET, FTIR, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, XPS, and H-2-TPR indicated that the active components of the H-2-reduced catalysts were more evenly distributed across the catalyst surface, thereby enhancing the availability of reactive sites for phenol oxidation. Simultaneously, under the appropriate temperature, the H-2 atmosphere can reduce a portion of the Cu2+ on the catalyst surface to Cu+, thereby mitigating the loss of Cu components.