Exploring the Effect of Co3O4 Nanocatalysts with Different Dimensional Architectures on Methane Combustion

We fabricated Co3O4 catalysts with different spatial structures, such as zero-dimensional (nanoparticles), one-dimensional (nanorods), two-dimensional (nanoplates), and three-dimensional (mesoporous and microporous) structures, for methane combustion. The Co3O4 catalysts with different dimensional architectures demonstrated different activities for the breaking of the C-H bond of methane. In particular, Co3O4 with 2D structure gave rise to the highest activity among all the samples, in which methane could be initially ignited below 200 degrees C and completely converted to CO2 at 375 degrees C. This activity is attributed to the collective contribution from all the exposed high-index planes of 2D Co3O4 and to more surface-active species being formed on 2D Co3O4.